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http://www.archive.org/details/bookofjobitsorigOOjastrich 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 


OTHER  WORKS  BY      ^ 
MORRIS  JASTROW,  Jr.,  Ph.D.,  LL.D. 


A  GENTLE  CYNIC 

Being  the  Book  of  Ecclesiastes 
255  pages.     Ornamental  cloth.     Small  quarto. 

In  Preparation 

THE  SONG  OF  SONGS 

Uniform  with  The  Book  of  Job  and  A  Gentle  Cynic 

THE  CIVILIZATION  OF  BABYLONIA 
AND  ASSYRIA 

Its  remains,  language,  history,  religion,  commerce, 
law,  art  and  literature 

With  map  and  164  illustrations.      Octavo.     Boxed. 

THE  EASTERN  QUESTION  AND 
ITS  SOLUTION 

With  a  Map  of  the  Near  East.    i2mo. 

THE  WAR  AND  THE  BAGDAD 
RAILWAY 

The   story   of  Asia  Minor  and  its  relation  to  the 
Great  Conflict 

14  illustrations  and  a  map.     i2mo. 

THE  WAR  AND  THE  COMING 
PEACE 

A  discussion  of  the  great  moral  issue  In  the  war  and 

the  basis  for  an  enduring  peace 

i2mo. 


»    •  »  »     »     9 


William  Blake  Inv.  &  Sc. 


WHEN   THE    MORNING    STARS    SANG    TOGETHER, 
AND   ALL   THE    SONS    OF    GOD    SHOUTED    FOR    JOY.' 


-Job,  38,  7 


%l)t  3Soofe  of  Sob 

ITS  ORIGIN,  GROWTH  AND 
INTERPRETATION 

TOGETHER  WITH 

A  NEW  TRANSLATION 

BASED  ON  A  REVISED  TEXT 

BY 

Morris  Jastrow,  Jr.,  Ph.D.,  LL.D, 

Professor  in  the  University  of  Pennsylvania 


"A  noble  book;  all  men's  book" 

Carlyle 


PHILADELPHIA  y  LONDON 

J.B.LIPPINCOTT  COMPANY 

1920 


COPYRIGHT,    1920,  BY  J.  B.  LIPPINCOTT  COMPANY 


■      *    •*  ' 
•  •  «    *  ♦ 


PRINTED  BY  J.  B.  LIPPINCOTT  COMPANY 

AT  THB  WASHINGTON  SQUARE  PRESS 

PHILADELPHIA,  U.S.A. 


TO 
EDGAR  FAHS  SMITH 

SCIENTIST   AND    ADMINISTRATOR 

A    TRIBUTE 
OF    ESTEEM   AND   APPRECIATION 


'Let  him  not  boast  who  puts  his  armor  on. 
As  he  who  puts  it  off,  the  battle  done." 

Longfellow. 


437782 


FOREWORD 


WITTY  Frenchman  once  re- 
marked of  the  Bible  that  as  a 
collection  it  was  plus  ceVehre  que 
connu.  It  is  in  the  hope  of  making 
a  contribution  towards  having  the 
most  celebrated  of  the  books  of  the 
Bible  better  known — and  by  that 
I  mean  a  deeper  penetration  into 
Its  real  meaning  and  significance — that  I  offer  a 
new  translation  which,  based  on  an  entirely  revised 
Hebrew  text,  will  be  found  to  differ  materially  from 
the  current  translations.  Preceding  the  translation 
and  forming  the  first  part  of  the  work,  I  have  given 
the  results  of  a  study  of  the  origin,  growth  and  inter- 
pretation of  the  Book  of  Job,  which  represents  the 
outcome  of  many  years  of  devotion  to  this  remarkable 
production  of  antiquity,  dealing  with  problems  that 
are  as  vital  and  as  puzzling  to-day  as  they  were  two 
milleniums  ago  when  the  book,  after  an  extended 
process  of  amplification,  reached  its  final  form. 

The  Book  of  Job  may  be  said  to  have  suffered 
from  its  celebrity.  Regarded  by  universal  consent  as 
the  literary  masterpiece  of  the  Old  Testament  and, 
indeed,  as  one  of  the  masterpieces  in  world  literature, 
the  average  person  feels  himself  dispensed  by  virtue 
of  this  admission  from  reading  it,  much  as  Milton's 
Paradise  Lost  is  universally  admired  but  compara- 


FOREWORD 

tiVely  litcle  fe'^ii',  except  as  a  task  frequently  assigned 
to  those  whose  immaturity  prevents  them  from  ap- 
preciating it.  The  attitude  of  the  average  person  to- 
wards Job  seems  to  be,  why  read  in  order  to  con- 
firm an  opinion  which  one  is  ready  to  take  on  faith  ? 

It  is  perhaps  not  surprising  that  Job  should  be 
little  read,  for  the  English  translations  of  the  book — 
taking  their  cue  from  the  King  James  Version  of  i6i  i 
— make  it  a  most  uninviting  and,  one  is  tempted  to 
add,  an  unprofitable  task.  As  an  English  classic  the 
King  James  Version  will,  as  a  matter  of  course,  always 
retain  the  distinguished  position  that  it  holds,  but  as  a 
translation  it  is  in  need  of  a  much  more  thorough  re- 
vision than  has  been  given  to  it  either  in  the  Revised 
Version  of  1885  or  in  the  many  other  English  trans- 
lations that  have  since  been  published.  The  trans- 
lation of  the  whole  Bible  issued  by  the  American 
Baptist  Publication  Society  in  19 13  goes  further  than 
others  in  adopting  corrections  where  the  text  is  mani- 
festly corrupt,  and  while  this  is  gratifying  it  leaves,  in 
the  case  of  the  Book  of  Job,  a  large  number  of  pas- 
sages untouched  in  which  the  text  cannot  possibly  be 
correct  for  the  sufiicient  reason  that  it  gives  no  sense. 
Another  recent  translation  of  the  Old  Testament  is 
that  published  by  the  American  Jewish  Publication 
Society  in  1916.  It  was  prepared  by  a  body  of  com- 
petent scholars  whose  authority  is  unquestioned.  In 
their  rendering  these  translators  have  endeavored,  so 
far  as  possible,  to  preserve  the  wording  of  the  Author- 
ized Version,  but  in  many  instances  they  have 
deviated  where,  as  a  result  of  more  recent  investiga- 
tions, a  better  interpretation  of  the  text  as  it  stands 

8 


FOREWORD 

could  be  secured;  but  the  translators  have  stopped 
short  at  this  point.  As  they  themselves  are  at  pains 
to  tell  us,  their  aim  has  been  to  translate  the  received 
text  as  it  stands;  that  is  to  say,  in  the  form  given  to  it 
by  the  Massoretes,  as  the  Jewish  scholars,  who  at- 
tached the  vowels  to  the  consonantal  text  are  called.^ 
Only  in  the  very  rarest  instances  have  the  translators 
ventured  to  deviate  even  by  a  hair's-breadth  from  the 
received  text,  though  no  doubt  all  of  the  learned 
translators  would  be  willing  to  admit  that  the  text  is 
corrupt  in  a  great  many  instances.  As  a  translation 
of  the  received  text,  the  one  issued  by  the  American 
Jewish  Publication  Society  is,  therefore,  satisfactory; 
but  it  is  also  hopelessly  defective,  since  it  deliber- 
ately ignores  the  results  of  modern  critical  study. 

Confining  ourselves  to  the  Book  of  Job,  it  is  no 
exaggeration  to  say  that  barring  the  two  introductory 
chapters,  which  tell  the  story  of  Job  in  prose  form, 
and  the  prose  epilogue  at  the  end  of  the  book,^ 
there  are  not  ten  consecutive  verses  in  the  Symposium 
between  Job  and  his  friends  or  in  the  speeches  of 
Elihu  or  in  the  magnificent  closing  chapters  placed  as 
speeches  in  the  mouth  of  Yahweh,  the  text  of  which 
can  be  regarded  as  correct.  The  text  of  a  poetic; 
composition  is  more  liable  to  corruption  than  that  of  ■ 
a  prose  narrative.  In  the  case  of  the  Book  of  Job  we 
have  as  an  additional  factor  favorable  to  corruption 
the  manipulation  to  which  the  book  was  subjected,  in 
the  course  of  the  long  period  elapsing  between  the 

^  In  Hebrew,  as  in  Arabic,  Syriac  and  Phoenician,  only  the  consonants  are 
written  in  inscriptions  or  manuscripts.  When  vowels  are  added,  they  are  in- 
dicated by  diacritical  marks  placed  above  or  below  the  consonants. 

242,  7-17. 


FOREWORD 

first  draft  and  the  final  form,  with  a  view  of  naaking 
the  book  more  palatable  to  Jewish  orthodoxy.  In 
many  instances  the  textual  changes  required  in  order 
to  produce  a  satisfactory  meaning  are  slight  and 
as  obvious  as  they  are  slight;  but  frequently  a  more 
radical  process  is  required  in  order  to  restore  the 
text  to  its  correct  form.  Often  we  can  only  approxi- 
mate the  correct  form,  but  sufficiently  so  as  to 
obtain  at  least  a  satisfactory  view;  and  occasionally 
the  critical  student  finds  himself  baffled  and  must  con- 

>f  tent  himself  either  with  a  more  or  less  plausible  guess, 
,  or  admit  his  inability  to  solve  the  puzzling  problem  as 
to  the  precise  meaning  and  original  form  of  a  line, 
phrase  or  word,  or  an  entire  verse.  The  means  at  our 
disposal  for  correcting  the  text,  and  the  method  to  be 
followed  in  doing  so,  are  set  forth  in  my  study  of  the 
book  and  in  the  notes  attached  to  the  trans- 
lation. All  instances  of  a  deviation  from  the  re- 
ceived text  are  noted;  and  while  I  have  avoided  tech- 
nical discussions,  because  both  the  study  of  the  book 
and  the  translation  are  intended  primarily  for  the 
general  reader,  I  have  given  sufficient  indications  in 
the  brief  notes  to  enable  scholars,  who  feel  so  inclined, 
to  test  the  justification  of  the  revision  to  which  the 
text  has  been  subjected* 

There  is  another  sense  in  which  the  celebrity 
which  the  Book  of  Job  acquired  has  proved  to  be  a 
real  obstacle  to  a  proper  understanding  of  it.  A  tra- 
dition gradually  grew  up  around  the  book,  as  around 
most  of  the  books  of  the  Old  Testament  collection, 
resulting  in  a  totally  unhistorical  view  of  its  origin 
and  purpose.     The  growth  of  this  traditional  view 

lO 


FOREWORD 

of  Job  was  in  part  due  to  the  general  lack  of  a  critical 
spirit  in  the  approach  towards  Biblical  productions 
until  comparatively  recent  days,  and  in  part  to  cir- 
cumstances of  a  more  special  character.  With  the 
slow  evolution  of  the  idea  of  individual  authorship^ 
which  proceeded  under  the  influence  of  the  contact 
with  Greek  culture  after  the  middle  of  the  fourth  cen- 
tury before  this  era,  the  tendency  arose  to  regard  the 
Biblical  books  as  literary  units,  composed  by  some 
individual  at  some  specific  time.  As  a  matter  of  fact, 
however,  with  the  possible  single  exception  of  the 
Book  of  Esther,  which  is  a  propagandist  romance  that 
may  not  be  earlier  than  lOO  b.  c,  there  is  not  a  book 
of  the  Old  Testament'  that  can  be  assigned  to  any 
individual  author,  as  none  represents  in  its  present 
form  a  genuine  literary  unity.  Literary  unity  is  not 
to  be  found  even  in  so  late  a  book  as  that  of  Daniel, 
written  circa  i6o  b.  c,  when  individual  authorship 
among  the  Hebrews  had  already  come  to  the  fore, 
for  even  in  this  book  it  is  recognized  by  scholars  that 
the  last  chapters  are  not  by  the  same  writer  as  the 
one  to  whom  we  owe  the  earlier  ones. 

The  composition  of  Job,  dating  in  its  earliest  form 
from  the  period  before  the  contact  with  Greek  culture, 
was  produced  under  the  time-honored  method,  preva- 
lent throughout  the  ancient  East,  of  anonymous  and 
composite  authorship.  The  book  as  we  have  it  is  a 
gradual  growth,  and  in  view  of  this,  the  traditional 
attitude  towards  the  book,  which  regards  it  as  a  unit, 
effectively  blocks  the  way  to  a  genuine  understanding 
and  appreciation.  On  the  assumption  of  literary 
unity  the  book  is  full  of  most  glaring  contradictions, 


FOREWORD 

the  most  obvious  of  which  is  the  irreconcilability  of 
the  Job  of  the  folktale — a  model  of  piety  and  of  silent 
resignation  to  the  Divine  will — ^with  Job  as  he  is  pic- 
tured in  the  Symposium,  voluble  in  his  denunciation 
of  the  Divine  injustice  under  which  he  languishes. 
Furthermore,  the  traditional  view  that  grew  up 
around  the  book  and  which  assumed  that  all  sections 
of  it  were  written  in  the  spirit  of  Jewish  orthodoxy  is 
responsible  for  the  many  misunderstandings  still  cur- 
rent about  the  Book  of  Job  and  which,  as  long  as  they 
persist,  will  render  the  reading  of  it  in  the  ordinary 
translations  a  bewildering  mental  exercise  to  any- 
one who  approaches  it  in  the  spirit  in  which  we  take 
up,  let  us  say,  a  literary  work  of  our  own  days. 
In  the  current  translations  we  are  baffled  at  every 
point.  We  have  to  ask  ourselves  certainly  at  every 
tenth  verse,  if  not  oftener,  what  does  the  writer  mean  ? 
We  come  across  fine  and  impressive  passages,  but  if  we 
are  the  least  bit  critical,  we  are  also  thwarted  at  fre- 
quent intervals  by  the  hopeless  endeavor  to  obtain  an 
intelligible  view  of  the  sequence  of  the  thought.  It  is 
only  because  we  have  been  so  frequently  told  that  the 
Book  of  Job  is  a  literary  masterpiece  that  we  can  read 
passage  after  passage  which  upon  analysis  can  be 
shown  to  give  no  sense.  Tradition  has  a  way  of 
warping  our  critical  instinct,  and  permits  us  to  close*^ 
our  eyes  to  the  inherent  difficulties  with  which  the 
book,  on  the  assumption  of  its  being  a  unit  composition 
and  that  the  text  is  correct,  teems. 

In  making  the  results  of  the  modern  study  of  the 
book,  in  which  many  scholars  in  many  lands  have 
participated,  accessible  to  the  general  public,  it  is  my 

13 


FOREWORD 

main  purpose  to  present  Job,  as  I  have  tried  to  pre- 
sent "The  Words  of  Koheleth"— "A  Gentle  Cynic," 
as  I  ventured  to  call  the  unknown  writer  who  hid  his 
personality"  behind  a  nom  de  plume ^ — as  a  human  docu- 
ment. By  illuminating  the  conditions  under  which 
the  composite  production  gradually  received  its 
present  form,  its  literary  excellence  will  be  all  the  more 
clearly  revealed,  as  well  as  the  reason  for  the  profound 
influence  that  it  has  exerted  in  the  domain  of  religious 
thought. 

No  modem  translator  that  I  know  of  makes  the 
attempt  to  distinguish  between  the  original  portion  of 
the  book  and  the  amplification  to  which  Job,  as  every 
literary  production  in  the  ancient  Orient,  was  subject. 
Without  such  distinction  it  is  entirely  hopeless  to  ob- 
tain a  correct  view  of  the  great  masterpiece — hopeless 
indeed  to  recognize  it  as  a  masterpiece.  The  starting 
point,  therefore,  in  my  study  of  the  origin,  growth  and 
interpretation  of  Job,  is  a  recognition  of  the  separa- 
tion of  the  story  of  Job  from  the  poetical  composition 
in  which  the  two  problems  suggested  by  the  story,  the  J 
reason  for  innocent  suffering  in  the  world  and  for  the  ^ 
frequent  escape  of  the  wicked  from  merited  punish- 
ment, are  discussed.  The  story  of  Job  is  like  the  text 
of  a  sermon,  or  like  a  parable  on  which  a  preacher  en- 
larges. The  story  is  the  peg  upon  which  is  hung  the 
discussion  of  two  vital  problems  from  which  we  can- 
not escape,  if  we  look  at  things  in  this  world  as  they 
are.  Equally  fundamental  is  the  recognition  that  the 
poetical  composition  consists  of  three  distinct  strata 
in  which  the  two  problems  involved  are  viewed  from 

'  See  A  Gentle  CyniCy  p.  62-71. 

13 


FOREWORD 

totally  different  angles.  The  first  stratum  is  the  Sym- 
posium between  Job  and  his  three  friends  (chapters  3- 
27),  and  constitutes  the  original  book.  The  trend  of 
this  stratum  is  distinctly  skeptical.  It  emanated  from  a 
circle  of  bold  and  independent  thinkers  who  questioned 
conventional  beliefs.  Because  of  this  and  because  the 
Symposium  ended  in  an  unsatisfactory  manner, 
orthodox  circles  among  the  Jews  as  vitally  interested 
in  the  problems  as  unorthodox  Jews,  took  up  the  book 
and  proceeded  to  amplify  it.  As  the  result  of  an  ex- 
tended process  we  have  comments  and  reflections  by 
pious  commentators  and  other  additions,  as  well  as  a 
rearrangement  of  some  chapters,  and  above  all,  two 
additional  strata  represented  by  the  speeches  of  Elihu 
(chapters  32-37)  and  the  closing  chapters  of  the  book 
(chapters  38-41)  which  represent  the  endeavor  of  Jew- 
ish orthodoxy  to  counteract  the  influence  of  the  ori- 
ginal book,  and  to  furnish  more  satisfactory  answers 
to  the  questions  raised  in  the  Symposium. 

It  is  to  the  elucidation  of  the  various  aspects  of 
these  three  strata  and  their  relationship  to  one  another 
that  the  first  part  of  this  work  is  devoted;  and  I  trust 
that  after  a  consideration  of  what  has  been  set  forth, 
the  reader  will  agree  with  me  in  the  view  that  in  the 
magnificent  nature  poems  with  which  the  book  closes 
and  which  from  the  literary  point  of  view  are  the  fin-  ^ 
est  in  the  composite  production,  there  is  suggested  as 
a  definite  and  final  answer  to  the  two  main  problems 
of  Job  that  simple  faith  in  a  mysterious  power,  whose 
manifestations  are  to  be  seen  in  the  world  of  inanimate 
and  animate  nature,  constitutes  a  resting  point  for  ' 
man  in  the  ceaseless  search  to  which  he  is  irresistibly  led 


FOREWORD 

by  his  own  nature  to  penetrate  the  mystery  surround- 
ing his  Hfe.  I  am  aware  that  to  many,  as  I  suggest  at 
various  points  in  my  study,  it  will  seem  startling  as 
well  as  painful,  to  be  asked  to  lay  aside  views  which 
have  the  force  of  time-honored  tradition  and  to  look 
at  the  great  masterpiece  from  a  new  and  unaccustomed 
angle.  But  I  am  also  in  hopes  that  after  carefully 
considering  the  justification  brought  forward  for  the 
interpretation  and  for  the  new  translation,  my  readers 
will  reach  the  conclusion  that  the  new  Job  is  a  greater 
masterpiecethanthetraditional  one,  because  relieved  of 
contradictions  and  freed  from  inherent  difficulties  that 
persist  under  the  traditional  view  of  the  book.  Let  me 
not  be  understood  as  setting  up  the  extravagant  claim 
of  having  solved  all  the  difficulties  in  the  book.  That 
were  presumptuous  indeed.  An  author  unless  car- 
ried away  by  vanity  is  always  his  severest  critic.  I 
feel,  however,  that  without  exceeding  the  bounds  of 
proper  modesty  I  may  lay  claim  to  having  advanced 
the  interpretation  of  the  book  to  which  I  have  given 
years  of  patient  study  and  to  which  I  have  become 
ever  more  closely  attached  as  I  have  penetrated  deeper 
into  its  spirit.  That  at  all  events  is  my  hope  which, 
I  trust,  will  not  turn  out  to  be  a  delusion. 

In  closing  this  foreword  I  wish  to  make  special 
acknowledgment  to  a  modern  student  of  the  Old 
Testament  who  in  my  judgment  has  been  more  suc- 
cessful than  almost  any  other  scholar  of  the  present 
or  past  generation,  in  freeing  the  Old  Testament  of 
textual  errors  and  in  illuminating  hundreds  of  passages 
in  all  of  the  books.  Alas  that  the  acknowledgment 
must  take  the  form  of  a  tribute  to  his  memory.    Arnold 

IS 


FOREWORD 

B.  Ehrlich,  whose  name  is  little  known  beyond  the 
small  circle  of  special  workers,  passed  away  a  few 
months  ago  after  a  lifetime  devoted  to  research.  He 
left  behind  him  as  his  monument  a  comprehensive 
work  in  seven  volumes  which  he  modestly  called 
^^Marginal  Notes  (Randglossen)  to  the  Hebrew  Bible," 
in  which  as  he  passes  from  book  to  book  he  makes  his 
comments  and  textual  suggestions  in  brief  but  always 
striking  form,  with  an  unfailing  instinct  as  the  fruit  of 
profound  learning.  Though  he  spent  most  of  his  life 
in  New  York,  he  wrote  this  comprehensive  commen- 
tary in  German,  because  it  was  only  in  Germany  that 
he  could  find  a  publisher  for  a  work  of  this  character 
appealing  naturally  to  a  restricted  circle.  To  all  stu- 
dents of  the  Old  Testament,  however,  these  Marginal 
Notes  are  an  indispensible  handbook  which  every  one 
engaged  in  the  study  must  have  constantly  at  his  side. 
If  I  were  to  have  made  full  acknowledgment  to 
Ehrlich  in  the  notes  to  my  translation,  his  name 
would  have  appeared  on  every  page. 

I  also  wish  to  make  special  acknowledgment  to 
my  colleague  Professor  Clarence  G.  Child,  of  the  Eng- 
lish Department  of  the  University  of  Pennsylvania, 
who  was  kind  enough  to  go  over  my  rendering  very 
carefully  and  to  make  quite  a  number  of  valuable 
suggestions,  which  I  was  glad  to  accept.  For  the  very 
reason  that  my  rendering  deviates  so  widely  from 
that  of  the  classic  Authorized  Version,  I  was  the  more 
anxious  to  have  the  benefit  of  Professor  Child's  expeft 
knowledge  and  excellent  judgment. 

To  Mr.  E.  S.  Holloway,  of  the  J.  B.  Lippincott 
Co.,  I  am  Hkewise  indebted  for  various  helpful  sugges- 

i6 


FOREWORD 

tions,  and  more  particularly  for  the  very  attractive 
cover  design  which  is  his  work.  As  in  the  case  of  all 
my  writings  I  am  overwhelmed,  on  the  completion  of 
this  particularly  difficult  task,  with  gratitude  to  my 
wife  for  her  large  share  in  bringing  the  work  nearer  to 
a  high  standard  by  her  careful  supervision  and  unerr- 
ing judgment,  as  well  as  by  her  ever  sympathetic 
encouragement  of  my  labors. 

Lastly,  I  regard  it  as  a  privilege  to  be  permitted 
to  dedicate  the  book  to  a  distinguished  scientist  and 
administrator  whose  life,  devoted  to  the  highest  ideals, 
furnishes  a  rare  example  of  unselfishness  and  of  un- 
tiring industry. 

MORRIS  JASTROW  Jr. 

University  of  Pennsylvania 
June,  1920 


CONTENTS 

PART  I 

THE  ORIGIN,  GROWTH  AND  INTERPRETATION 

OF  THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

chapter  page 

Foreword 7 

I  The  Folktale  of  Job  and  the  Book  of  Job 

I  The  Skeptical  Spirit  in  the  Original  Book  of 

Job 25 

II  The  Origin  of  the  Literary  Symposium 30 

III  The  Date  of  the  Symposium 33 

IV  The  Two  Jobs 39 

V  The    Friends    in    the    Folktale    and    in    the 

Symposium 41 

^L.yi  The  Two  Conceptions  of  God 43 

VII  The  Non-Hebraic  Origin  of  the  Story  of  Job .  .  46 

^  VIII  Oral  Transmission  Versus  Literary  Production  49 
"^IX  The  Modifications  in  the  Folktale.    The  Figure 

of  Satan 52 

^-^X  "The  Sons  of  God" 56 

XI  The  Four  Epilogues  to  the  Book  of  Job 59 

II  The  Three  Strata  in  the  Book  of  Job 

^   I  Collective  and  Anonymous  Authorship 64 

Tl  The  Original  Book  of  Job  and  the  Supplements 

to  it 67 

III  The  Third  Series  of  Speeches  of  Job  and  His 

Friends 70 

IV  The  Two  Appendices  to  the  Original  Book  of  Job    74 
.X  V  The  Composite  Character  of  the  Speeches  of 

Elihu yj 

19 


CON  TEN 'TS 

VI  A  Collection  of  Nature  Poems  as  the  Third 

Stratum 82 

n4  VII  The  Message  of  the  Nature  Poems 86 

III  Changes    and    Additions    Within    the    Original 

Book  of  Job 

I  Jewish  Orthodoxy  Versus  Skepticism 88/ 

II  Varying  Versions  of  the  Hebrew  Text 92 

^  III  Additions   to  the  Original   Book  of  Job  of  a 

Purely  Explanatory  Character 97 

-^  IV  Superfluous  Lines 103 

IV  How  a  Skeptical  Book  was  Transformed  into  a  ^ 

Bulwark  of  Orthodoxy 
I  Changes  in  the  Original  Book  of  Job  Made  in 

the  Interests  of  Jewish  Orthodoxy 109 

II  Additions  by  Pious  Commentators 112 

III  The  Transformation  of  Crucial  Passages 120 

IV  Orthodox   Sentiments   Placed   in   the  Mouth 

of  Job 130 

V  The  "Search  for  Wisdom" 135 

VI  The  Virtues  of  Job 137 

VII  The  Two  Appendices  as  the  Coping  to  the 

Structure  of  Jewish  Orthodoxy 140 

V  The  Book  of  Job  as  Philosophy  and  Literature 

I  The  Insoluble  Problem 148 

II  The  Religious  Strain  in  the  Original  Book  of 

^         J?^'  •:•  •. :\ ^53 

\y  ^III  Individualism  in  Religion 156 

^V  The  Defects  in  Job's  Philosophy 159 

^V  The  Attitude  Towards  the  Problem  of  Evil  in 

the  Speeches  of  Elihu 162 

A^I  The  Solution  of  the  Problem  in  the  Nature 

Poems 167 

VII  The  New  Doctrine  of  Retribution  in  a  Future 

World 170 

20 


CONT-ENrS 

-*  iiiS/III  The  Literary  Form  of  Job.    A  Symposium  not 

a  Drama 174 

IX  Zoroastrlanism  and  the  Book  of  Job 181 

X  Job  and  Prometheus 185 

XI  The  Message  of  Job  to  the  Present  Age 188 

PART  II 
A  NEW  TRANSLATION  OF  THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

I  The  Story  of  Job  (Chapters  i  and  2) 197 

II  The  Symposium  Between  Job  and  His  Friends 

(Chapters  3  to  21) 206 

III  A  Third   Series   of  Speeches   (Chapters   22  to 

27) 275 

IV  Two  Supplementary  Speeches  of  Job.    (Chapters 

29  TO  31) 298 

V  The  Search  for  Wisdom  (Chapter  28) 310 

VI  First  Appendix  to  Book  of  Job — The  Four 
Speeches  of  Elihu  with  Three  Inserted  Poems 
(Chapters  32  to  37) 314 

VII  Second  Appendix  to  the  Book  of  Job — ^A  Collec- 
tion of  Eight  Nature  Poems  (Chapters 
38  to  41) 343 

VIII  The  Four  Epilogues  to  the  Book  of  Job 361 

(a)  Chapter  40,  1-5  (Poetical  Epilogue,  added  to 

the  first  Speech  put  in  the  Mouth  of  Yahweh) 

(b)  Chapter 40, 6-14  with42, 1-6  (Poetical  Epilogue, 

combined  with  an  Introduction,  and  added 
to  the  Description  of  the  Hippopotamus  and 
the  Crocodile,  as  the  Second  Speech  put  in 
the  Mouth  of  Yahweh) 

(c)  42, 7*'-9  (The  Prose  Epilogue  to  the  Symposium) 
{d)  42,  ia-17  (The  Original  Close  of  the  Folktale) 

21 


PART  I 

THE  ORIGIN,  GROWTH  AND 

INTERPRETATION  OF    THE 

BOOK  OF  JOB 


tKfie  Poob  of  foil 

CHAPTER  I 

THE  FOLKTALE  OF  JOB  AND  THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

I 

THE  SKEPTICAL  SPIRIT  IN  THE  ORIGINAL 
BOOK  OF  JOB 

^HE  ambition  of  the  student  of 
Biblical  Literature  to  try  his  hand 
at  an  interpretation  of  the  Book 
of  Job^  appears  to  be  as  irresistible 
as  the  longing  of  every  actor — even 
though  he  begins  his  career  with 
low  comedy — to  end  as  Hamlet. 
The  difficulties  with  which  the 
book  bristles  form  its  challenge,  as  the  intensely  hu- 
man problem  with  which  it  deals  explains  the  fas- 
cination which  it  has  ever  exercised  on  every  one  who 
can  sympathize — and  who  can  not  ? — ^with  the  path- 
etic effort  of  the  human  soul  to  pierce  the  encompass- 
ing darkness  and  mystery  of  human  life.  Carlyle 
calls  it  *'A  noble  book;  all  men's  book.  "*   It  makes,  in 

*  The  list  of  interpretators  of  Job  extends  from  Theodore  of  Mopsuestia 
who  in  the  fifth  century  of  our  era  endeavored  to  show  that  Job  is  a  tragedy- 
after  the  pattern  of  the  Greek  drama,  to  the  year  1918  in  which  Dr.  H.  M. 
Kallen  made  the  same  futile  attempt.  The  interpreters  include  the  greater 
lights  and  smaller  satellites  among  Biblical  scholars  from  the  Jewish  commen- 
tators of  the  Middle  Ages:  Ibn  Ezra,  Kimchi  and  Rashi,  to  Ewald,  Rerian, 
Dillman,  Duhm,  Budde,  Graetz,  Cheyne,  Szold,  Genung,  Delitzsch,  Siegfried, 
Peake,  Cox,  Barton,  Strahan,  Blake,  Ehrlich,  Driver,  Gray  and  Buttenwieser 
in  the  nineteenth  and  twentieth  centuries. 

*  The  Hero  as  Prophet  (Heroes  and  Hero  Worshippers,  H). 

25 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

truth,  a  universal  appeal,  and  this  is  the  more  remark- 
able because  there  is  no  other  book  in  the  Biblical 
collection  which  is  so  puzzling  the  moment  one  en- 
deavors to  penetrate  beneath  the  surface,  as  there  is 
none  in  regard  to  which  so  many  misunderstandings 
are  still  current.  It  may  be  said  without  exaggeration 
that  every  thing  about  the  book  is  puzzling.  The 
language  is  difficult  and  in  many  cases  almost  hope- 
lessly obscure,  the  text  has  come  down  to  us  in  a  very 
corrupt  form,  in  part  due  to  the  obscurity  of  the 
language,  the  arrangement  is  most  complicated,  the 
setting  is  as  strange  as  it  is  non- Jewish,  and  what  adds 
to  these  difficulties,  the  entire  book  has  been  manipu- 
lated in  the  interest  of  conventional  orthodoxy,  so 
that  its  original  import  can  only  be  discovered  by  a 
most  exacting  study. 

We  must  at  the  outset  recognize  that  the  Book  of 
Job  in  its  original  form  was  a  skeptical  composition — 
skeptical  in  the  sense  of  putting  a  question  mark  after 
the  fundamental  axiom  in  the  teachings  of  the  Hebrew 
prophets  of  the  ninth  and  succeeding  centuries,  that 
the  government  of  the  universe  rests  on  justice.  We 
will  see  that  there  is  no  single  author  in  the  modern 
sense  to  any  part  of  the  book.^  The  group  that  pro- 
duced the  original  book,  while  not  denying  the  exist- 
ence of  a  watchful  Creator,  is  not  satisfied  with  the 
mere  repetition  of  a  pious  phrase, 

"God*s  in  His  heaven, 
All's  right  with  the  world!" 

They  wish  to  test  the  phrase.  Anatole  France  tells 
us  in  that  charming  narrative  of  his  childhood — 

26 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

Le  Petit  Pierre — in  which  one  suspects  that  he  has  used 
the  Goethean  device  of  combining  "Wahrheit  und 
Dichtung" — ^that  he  declined  to  follow  his  mother's 
suggestion  to  put  an  interrogation  mark  after  the  title 
of  his  earliest  composition  "What  is  God,"  because, 
as  he  insisted,  he  purposed  to  answer  the  question. 
Since  then,  he  tells  us,  he  has  changed  his  mind  and  is 
inclined  to  put  a  question  mark  after  everything  that 
he  writes,  thinks  or  does.  The  unknown  thinker  to 
whom  we  owe  the  first  draft  of  the  Book  of  Job  is  one 
of  the  great  questioners  of  antiquity,  and  those  who 
followed  in  his  wake  in  enlarging  the  book  often  add 
two  interrogation  marks  to  statements  that  were 
accepted  as  a  matter  of  course  by  the  age  in  which 
they  lived. 

The  personage  of  Job  is  merely  an  illustration  of 
a  man  who  endured  in  patience.  The  folktale  is  a  peg 
on  which  to  hang  the  discussion  of  the  problem  in- 
volved in  Job's  sufferings.  This  problem  is  resolved 
into  the  question — Why  should  the  just  man  suffer.'* 
Job  is  "Everyman,"  and  what  happened  to  him  rep- 
resents merely  on  a  large  scale  what  on  a  smaller  one 
may  be  taken  as  typical  of  the  common  human  ex- 
perience. For  who  has  not  at  some  time  in  his  life 
suffered  innocently  and  felt  convinced  of  his  martyr- 
dom? Even  the  most  fortunate  experience  disappoint- 
ments which  seem  to  involve  injustice  towards  them. 
We  are  all  at  some  time  buffeted  by  the  waves  of  for- 
tune, and  when  we  look  about  us  we  behold  on  all  sides 
the  sea  strewn  with  the  wrecks  of  human  careers,  as  a 
result  of  the  merciless  fury  of  the  elements  aroused  to 
anger  through  no  cause  that  can  be  reconciled  with  the 

27 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

conception  of  a  moral  and  just  Neptune.  In  the  lar- 
ger field  of  human  history — the  fate  of  nations  and 
countries — cunning,  deceit,  brute  power,  oppression 
of  the  masses  seem  to  be  the  forces  in  control. 

"Right  forever  on  the  scaffold, 
Wrong  forever  on  the  throne." 

A  "gentle  cynic"  like  Koheleth  can  deal  lightly 
with  a  topsy-turvy  world  in  which  he  sees  *'a  right- 
eous man  who  perishes  by  his  righteousness,  and  there 
a  wicked  man  rounding  out  his  Hfe  in  his  wickedness.  "^ 
The  one  who  is  willing  to  take  things  as  they  come  can 
reach  the  conclusion  that  there  is  "nothing  better  for 
a  man  than  to  be  happy  and  enjoy  himself  in  his  life.  "* 
Not  so  the  writers  in  the  original  Book  of  Job,  who  are 
neither  gentle  nor  cynical.  For  them  the  fact  that 
wickedness  usurps  the  place  of  justice,  and  "where 
the  righteous  should  have  been,  the  wicked  was  "^  con- 
stitutes the  most  serious  problem  of  life,  since  it  in- 
volves the  possibility  that  at  the  head  of  the  universe 
stands  a  blind  and  cruel  fate  in  place  of  a  loving 
Father  of  mankind.  The  questioner  scans  the  heavens 
and  finds  the  supposed  throne  of  mercy  without  an 
occupant;  and  the  discovery  bears  heavily  on  his  dis- 
turbed soul. 

This,  then,  must  constitute  our  point  of  departure 
in  any  endeavor  to  penetrate  into  the  meaning  of  the 
philosophic  poem  in  its  earliest  form,  that  its  spirit 
is  skeptical.  The  Book  of  Job  arose  out  of  a  circle 
which  was  not  content  with  the  conventional  answer 


'  Ecclesiastes  7,  15. 

*  Ecclesiastes  3,  12. 

*  Ecclesiastes  3,  16. 


28 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

to  the  question  why  the  innocent  suffer  in  this  strange 
world.  Hence  the  manifest  sympathy  of  the  writers 
to  whom  we  owe  the  Symposium  (chapters  3-27)  with 
Job.  The  three  *' friends  "  introduced  as  participants 
in  the  discourse  are  merely  foils  to  press  home  the 
arguments  of  Job  against  the  assumptions  of  the  pre- 
vailing orthodoxy.-  Job  is  the  Alpha  and  Omega  in 
the  situation,  the  climax  and  the  anti-climax. 

But  the  objection  may  be  interposed,  why  desig- 
nate Job  as  a  book  that  questions  the  current  view 
that  suffering  is  for  a  good  cause,  when  we  have  the 
speeches  of  the  three  companions  who  in  answer  to 
Job's  complaints  uphold  the  orthodox  point  of  view? 
Besides  there  are  the  discourses  of  Elihu  (chapters  32- 
37)  in  defence  of  orthodoxy,  and  the  magnificent  series 
of  poems  (chapters  38-41),  put  into  the  mouth  of  God 
Himself.  Is  not  the  orthodox  point  of  view  trium- 
phant? Does  not  Job  repent  and  only  after  his  re- 
pentance is  rewarded  for  his  sufferings  by  having 
health,  wealth  and  happiness  restored  to  him  ?  Why 
not  judge  the  book  from  this  angle  ?  Such  indeed  was 
the  prevailing  view  taken  of  Job  till  the  advent  of 
modem  Biblical  criticism,  and  even  among  the  critical 
students  there  are  at  present  some — and  in  the  former 
generation  there  were  more — who  look  upon  the  Book 
of  Job  as  written  for  the  purpose  of  vindicating  the 
story  of  Job,  instead  of  questioning  the  basis  on  which 
that  story  rests. 

If  we  take  the  book  as  it  stands  in  our  ordinary 
Bible  translations,  there  is  no  escape  from  the  conclu- 
sion that  Job  is  a  powerful  argument  for  the  mainte- 
nance of  Jewish  orthodoxy  of  post-exilic  days,  but  the 

29 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

fatal  objection  to  the  conclusion  is  that  we  cannot  take 
the  book  as  it  stands.  As  we  have  it,  the  production 
is  far  removed  from  its  original  draft.  It  is  not  a  unit 
composition,  as  little  as  is  the  Book  of  Koheleth. 
It  is  composite  not  to  the  same  degree  as  the  Penta- 
teuch is  a  gradual  growth,  but  of  the  same  order.  It 
consists  of  a  trunk  on  which  branches  have  been 
grafted.  In  the  course  of  its  growth  from  the  first 
draft  to  its  final  form  it  covers  a  considerable  period, 
just  as  the  compilation  of  the  five  books  into  which  the 
Psalms  are  divided  stretches  over  several  centuries. 
It  received  in  the  course  of  its  growth  large  additions 
the  purpose  of  which  was  to  counteract  the  tendency 
ofthe  original  draft,  precisely  as  was  the  purpose  of 
the  additions  to  Koheleth.^ 

II 

THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  LITERARY  SYMPOSIUM 

Now  in  order  to  establish  this,  let  us  try  to  make 
clear  to  ourselves  how  a  Symposium  such  as  we  have 
in  Job^  based  on  the  story  of  Job  may  have  arisen.  We 
must  take  as  our  starting-point  not  an  individual 
author — for  there  were  no  authors  in  any  real  sense 
of  the  word  among  the  Hebrews  till  some  time  after 
the  contact  with  Greek  culture^ — but  rather  a  circle 
in  which  the  problem  suggested  by  the  folktale  would 
form  the  subject  of  discussion.  Some  thinker  in  such 
a  circle,  gifted  with  insight  into  human  nature  and  an 

•  See  the  author's  A  GentU  Cynic,  p.  71,  seq. 

"  Consisting  at  one  time  of  chapters  3-21  only;  then  enlarged  by  a  third 
series  of  speeches,  chapters  22-27,  with  chapters  29-31  to  form  a  supplement 
to  the  original  book  and  chapter  28  as  a  separate  insertion.    See  further  p .  67  seq. 

^  See  A  Gentle  Cynic ^  p.  31  seq* 

30 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

observer  of  what  was  happening  in  the  world  around 
him,  raised  the  question  whether  such  a  story  as  that 
of  Job  was  a  true  one,  that  is,  in  the  sense  of  represent- 
ing what  would  really  happen  if  misfortune  should 
overtake  a  thoroughly  good  and  virtuous  and  God- 
fearing man.  Would  such  a  man  act  in  the  manner 
indicated  in  the  folktale,  like  Job  accept  the  evil  in  the 
same  spirit  as  the  good  and  bow  his  head  in  silent  resig- 
nation ?  The  third  chapter  in  which  Job  begins  by  cur- 
sing the  day  on  which  he  was  born,  and  ends  by  com- 
plaining that  God  will  not  grant  release  to  those  who 
long  for  death  more  than  for  hidden  treasures, 

"Who  rejoice  at  the  thought  of  the  mound," 

furnishes  the  answer.  J' There  you  have  the  real  Job, " 
exclaims  the  thinker.  (.That  is  the  way  in  which  a  man 
who  feels  keenly  the  injustice  of  being  made  a  butt  of 
misfortune  would  feel.  To  be  deprived  of  family 
possessions  and  station  and  finally  to  be  tortured  with 
loathsome  disease  would  change  the  pious  and  God- 
fearing man  into  a  violent  accuser  of  the  Deity. 
Throughout  the  Symposium,  Job  is  represented  as 
protesting  against  his  cruel  and  unjustifiable  treat- 
ment. He  wrings  our  soul  with  pity  by  his  bitter  out- 
cries. Those  who  write  the  speeches  which  they  put 
into  his  mouth  visualize  for  us  the  suflFerings  of  Job 
beyond  human  endurance.  Ever  and  again  he  breaks 
out  in  his  anguish  and  indulges  in  indictments  against 
Divine  injustice  that  know  no  bounds.  ^ 

A  second  question  put  by  our  thinker,  who  ana- 
lyzes the  story  that  was  repeated  from  generation  to 
generation,  was  even  more  pertinent.     What  about 

31 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

God  ?    What  an  awful  Deity  to  permit  a  man  "  perfect 
and  removed  from  evil"  (i,  2)  to  be  thus  wracked  on 
the  wheel!    The  introduction  of  the  scene  between 
Yahweh  and  Satan  only  enhances  the  callousness  of 
the  former  in  heaping  misfortunes  on  an  innocent 
head,  just  for  the  satisfaction  of  winning  a  wager. 
What  a  shocking  and  immoral  story,  we  can  fancy  the 
thinker  saying,  to  tell  children  and  to  impress  upon 
their  elders.  Even  if  Job  had  acted  as  he  is  represented 
in  the  folktale,  what  is  there  to  be  said  in  justification 
of  God?    The  good  "Sunday  School"  story  is  thus 
transformed  under  the  searching  test  of  those  who 
approach  it  from  a  more  critical  angle,  into  a  most 
objectionable  tale.    Its  supposed  lesson  to  suffer  with- 
out murmuring  is  punctured  by  the  two  questions  thus 
raised  in  regard  to  it,  the  one  of  a  psychological  nature, 
the  other  of  a  theological  order.  How  can  one  reconcile 
the  conduct  of  Yahweh  in  the  story  with  the  concep- 
tion of  God  taught  by  the  Hebrew  prophets  of  the 
century  and  a  half  preceding  the  downfall  of  Jeru- 
salem (586  B.  c),  as  a  Being  ruling  the  world  and  the 
destinies  of  mankind  by  laws  of  justice,  tinctured  with 
mercy?    That  is  the  problem  as  it  appeared  to  the 
circle  within  which  at  some  time  a  thinker  arose,  who 
put  his  two  questions  and  who  stimulated  his  fellow 
thinkers  to  discuss  the  theme  involved  in  what  on  the 
surface  appeared  to  be   an  altogether  proper  and 
impressive  folktale. 

The  Symposium  in  which  arguments  and  counter 
arguments  are  exchanged  by  Job  and  his  friends  is  the 
outcome  of  these  discussions.  The  purpose  of  the 
Symposium  is  not  to  elaborate  the  story,  but  to  illumi- 

32 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

nate  the  religious  problem  which  may,  in  other  words, 
be  briefly  defined  as  the  search  for  the  reason  of  suffer- 
ing and  evil  in  a  world  created  by  a  supposedly  merciful, 
just  and  loving  Creator.   lOne  must  enlarge  the  pro- 
blem to  one  of  suffering  and  evil,  for  dSfe-  one  implies 
the  other.    The  counterpart  to  Job,4i*^innocent  suf- 
ferer, is  the  wicked  man  who  escapes  punishment.  Our 
thinker  is  unsparing  in  his  search,  for  no  less  typical 
than  Job's  case  of  what  is  happening  daily  is  the  con- 
current instance  of  the  wrongdoer  who  eludes  the  fate 
that  is  his  due.    The  one  who  heaps  up  ill-gotten 
gain  enjoys  his  wealth  without  even  a  twinge  of  con- 
science at  forcing  others. to  tread  the  mill,  so  that  hej 
may  acquire  substance.  [The  tyrant  on  the  throne,  the 
thief  who  robs  his  fellow,  the  murderer  who  mounts"^ 
over  the  prostrate  body  of  his  victim,  the  dishonest      I 
dealer  who  defrauds  his  customers  by  false  scales,  the      I 
brutal  employer  who  grinds  the  faces  of  the  poor — are      I 
they  not  all  around  us,  happy  and  prosperous  while      I 
the  weak  and  defenseless  perish  ?    Such  is  the  terrible     / 
indictment  that  we  encounter  in  the  utterances  put 
into  the  mouth  of  Job.    Here  is  a  problem  indeed, 
well  worthy  of  discussion.   \Where  is  God  while  inX 
nocent  suffering  and  terrible  injustice  is  going  on  in/  I 
His  world  ?    Is  a  solution  possible  ?)  j 

III 

THE  DATE  OF  THE  SYMPOSIUM 

The  circle  in  which  the  problem  thus  extended 
into  a  general  discussion  of  the  reason  for  suffering 
and  evil  in  the  world  was  tossed  to  and  fro  must  have 

3  33 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

consisted  of  bold  thinkers  who  had  freed  themselves 
from  the  shackles  of  traditional  views  to  plunge  fear- 
lessly into  the  maelstrom  of  doubt  and  rationalism. 
They  knew  of  the  counter  arguments  that  would  be 
brought  forward  in  orthodox  circles  against  the  posi- 
tion taken  by  Job.  In  order  to  illuminate  the  prob- 
lem from  all  sides,  the  three  friends  of  the  folktale 
are  introduced  as  the  representatives  of  the  prevailing 
orthodoxy,  but  it  is  evident  throughout  the  Sympo- 
sium that  although  the  speeches  put  into  the  mouth 
of  Eliphaz,  Bildad  and  Zophar  are  from  the  literary 
point  of  view  fully  as  impressive  as  those  of  Job,  the 
sympathy  of  the  writers  is  on  the  side  of  Job.  It  is 
only  when  we  come  to  the  four  speeches  of  a  fifth  per- 
sonage— Elihu — ^that  we  obtain  compositions  in  which 
the  attempt  is  made  to  divert  our  sympathy,  but 
Elihu  takes  no  part  in  the  Symposium  proper. 

We  are  led  to  a  post-exilic  date  for  the  existence 
of  such  a  circle  of  free  thinkers,  sufficiently  bold  and 
advanced  to  tackle  the  most  perplexing  problem  that 
arises  when  religion  passes  from  the  earlier  stages  in 
which  the  chief  attribute  of  the  gods  is  strength, 
arbitrarily  exercised,  to  the  highest  level  in  which 
ethical  motives  enter  into  the  conception  of  the 
Divine  government  of  the  universe.  With  the  appear- 
ance of  the  great  series  of  prophets,  about  the  middle 
of  the  ninth  century,  b.  c.  the  Hebrews  definitely  ad- 
vance to  this  level,  for  the  burden  of  the  teachings  of 
Amos,  Hosea,  Micah  and  Isaiah  is  that  Yahweh,  the 
national  deity  of  the  Hebrews,  is  a  Power  "  making  for 
righteousness. "  He  does  not  act  arbitrarily,  but  re- 
wards or  punishes  according  to  the  good  or  bad  deeds 

34 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

of  his  people.  The  obedience  that  He  exacts  is  to 
dictates  of  justice.  He  knows  no  favorites  and  cannot 
be  bribed  by  sacrifices  or  homage  to  divert  just  pun- 
ishment from  wrongdoers.  The  pre-exilic  prophets  do 
not  stress  the  universal  sway  of  Yahweh.  For  them 
Yahweh  is  still,  or  at  least  primarily,  the  God  of  the 
Hebrews.  In  this  sense  the  Hebrews  are  His  chosen 
people,  but  the  corollary  that  a  God  of  justice  and 
righteousness  must  be  a  unifying  force,  in  control  of 
the  universe  and  exercising  His  sway  over  all  nature 
and  all  mankind,  was  in  due  time  drawn,  though  it  is 
not  until  the  exilic  period  that  a  genuine  ethical  mono- 
theism was  preached  by  the  successors  of  the  earlier 
prophets,  by  Ezekiel,  by  the  anonymous  prophets 
whose  utterances  are  embodied  in  the  second  part  of 
Isaiah,^  by  Zephaniah  and  Zechariah. 

We  must  descend  well  into  the  fifth  century  be- 
fore Judaism,  as  we  know  it,  became  part  and  parcel 
of  the  life  of  the  people.  In  the  Symposium  God  is 
viewed  as  a  power  of  universal  scope.  There  is  no 
longer  any  trace  of  the  former  nationalistic  limitations ; 
and  it  is  just  because  the  doctrine  of  the  prophets  in- 
volved the  rule  by  this  universal  Power  of  the  des- 
tinies of  mankind  by  self-imposed  laws  of  righteous- 
ness and  justice,  that  the  problem  as  to  the  cause  of 
innocent  suff'ering  and  unchecked  evil  in  the  world 
becomes  real  and  intense.  For  religions  of  the  older 
tjq^e,  the  diificulty  did  not  exist.  The  gods  were  ar- 
bitrary. They  could  not  be  held  to  account.  It  was 
man's  sole  endeavor  to  keep  them  in  good  humor  and. 


^  Chapters   40-66,   with   some   scattered   utterances   also  in   the   first 
35  chapters. 

35 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

favorably  disposed  by  doing  what  would  please  them. 
If  despite  gifts  and  homage,  the  gods  were  disposed  to 
manifest  their  anger  by  sending  disease,  by  catastro- 
phes and  miseries  of  all  kinds,  there  was  nothing  to  be 
done  but  to  wait  until  their  displeasure  had  passed 
away.  The  circle  from  which  the  Book  of  Job  eman- 
ated could  therefore  not  have  arisen  in  Palestine,  where 
the  book  originated,  before  the  fifth  century,  b.  c. 
and  scholars  are  generally  agreed  to  proceed  far  into 
this  century  for  the  first  draft  of  our  book.  The  dis- 
cussions on  the  vital  problem  may  have  gone  on  orally 
for  some  time  before  the  thought  rose  of  giving  a 
written  form  to  them,  and  we  are  probably  safe  in 
fixing  upon  400  b.  c.  as  the  approximate  date  for 
the  Symposium. 

The  problem  of  the  Book  of  Job  is  thus  one  which 
directly  arises  out  of  the  basic  doctrine  of  post-exilic 
Judaism;  and  it  was  inevitable  that  the  question 
would  some  time  be  raised,  whether  what  the  prophets 
taught  of  the  nature  of  God  which  the  people  ac- 
cepted as  guidance  in  their  lives  was  compatible  with 
the  facts  of  experience.  Is  there  a  just  and  loving  Pro- 
vidence at  the  helm  of  the  universe  ?  If  so,  why  does 
man  live  in  a  vale  of  sorrow  ?   As  the  Psalmist  asks : 

"Why  standest  Thou  afar  off,  O  Yahweh, 

VWhy  hidest  Thou  Thyself  in  times  of  trouble?"     (Ps.  10,  i). 

\  The  questioning  spirit  arises  in  the  circles  of  the 

\  orthodox  and  pious  quite  as  much  as  among  those 
who  boldly  challenge  conventional  views,  but  the  sig- 
nificance of  the  Symposium  consists  in  the  thorough 
\  manner  in  which  for  the  first  time  the  probfem  is 

36 


tHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

discussed  in  the  light  of  a  particularly  significant  ex- 
ample of  a  contrast  between  what  ought  to  be  in  a 
world  that  is  supposed  to  be  ruled  by  justice,  and  what 
is.  Occasionally  in  other  literatures  of  the  ancient 
East,  the  problem  is  touched  upon.  So,  for  example,  in 
a  remarkable  Babylonian  poem  of  a  king  of  Nippur^°, 
who  despite  his  piety  is  smitten  with  disease.  Tabi- 
utul-Enlil,  as  the  king  is  called,  is  represented  as 
indulging  in  reflections  on  the  prevalence  of  suffering 
in  the  world. 

"I  had  reached  and  passed  the  allotted  time  of  life. 
Whithersoever  I  turned — evil  upon  evil; 
Misery  had  increased,  justice  had  disappeared." 

But  under  the  limitation  of  the  Babylonian  conception 
of  the  gods,  who  although  not  insensible  to  justice,  yet 
exercise  their  power  according  to  their  pleasure  and  in 
arbitrary  fashion,  the  poem  goes  no  farther  than  to 
suggest  that  the  ways  of  the  gods  are  unfathomable, 
and  that  without  apparent  cause  man's  fate  is  subject 
to  constant  change. 

"What,  however,  seems  good  to  oneself,  to  a  god  is  displeasing, 
What  is  spurned  by  oneself  finds  favor  with  a  god; 
Who  is  there  that  can  grasp  the  will  of  the  gods  in  heaven  ? 
The  plan  of  a  god  full  of  power  (?) — ^who  can  understand  it.^ 
How  can  mortals  learn  the  way  of  a  god  .'* 
He  who  was  alive  yesterday  is  dead  to-day. 
In  an  instant  he  is  cast  into  grief, 
Of  a  sudden  he  is  crushed. 
For  a  moment  he  sings  in  joy; 
In  a  twinkling  he  wails  like  a  mourner. 

Like  opening  and  closing,  their  (z.  e.  mankind's)  spirit  changes; 
If  they  are  hungry,  they  are  like  corpses; 


i«  See  below,  p.  48. 

37 


tHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

Have  they  had  enough,  they  consider  themselves  equal  to 

their  god. 
If  things  go  well,  they  prate  of  mounting  to  heaven; 
If  they  are  in  distress,  they  speak  of  descending  into  Irkalla.^^ 

In  the  Upanishads  of  ancient  India,  from  about 
the  seventh  and  following  centuries, ^^  i}^q  tragedy  of 
life  is  the  constant  theme,  and  the  spirit  in  which  life 
is  viewed  is  preeminently  philosophical,  but  we  have 
sporadic  reflections  rather  than  a  genuine  attempt  to 
get  at  the  core  of  the  problem.  In  this  respect  the 
Symposium  of  Job  is  unique.  Its  philosophy  is  not 
academic  but  intensely  human.  It  brings  the  prob- 
lem home  to  us  in  a  way  that  betrays  its  origin  in 
a  circle  which  responded  sympathetically  to  the 
hard  experiences  of  life  from  which  few  escape,  a 
circle  that  was  alive  to  the  consciousness  of  frequent 
failure,  despite  all  endeavors  to  follow  the  dictates  of 
an  ethical  code  of  life  and  that  grasped  the  bitterness 
of  seeing  wrong  triumphant  while  virtue  is  trampled 
under  foot.  The  Symposium  is  all  the  more  remark- 
able because  despite  its  rebellious  tone,  its  boldness 
is  kept  within  the  limits  of  an  honest  search  for  truth, 
undertaken  in  a  profoundly  serious  frame  of  mind.  Its 
pessimism  is  free  from  any  tinge  of  cynicism  or  friv- 
olity; its  skepticism  is  never  offensive,  because  it  keeps 
close  to  intense  sympathy  for  suffering  mankind  as 
typified  by  Job.  The  Symposium,  quite  apart  from 
its  literary  qualities,  stands  out  for  these  reasons  in  the 
world's  literature  as  one  of  the  boldest  attempts  to 
attack  a  problem  which  to-day,  after  two  thousand 
years  and  more,  still  baffles  religious  minds. 

^^  One  of  the  names  of  the  lower  world,  wherein  the  dead  are  huddled. 
^2  See  Macdonnell  Sanskrit  Literature^  page  226. 

38 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

IV 
THE  TWO  JOBS 

A  further  condition  for  a  proper  understanding  of 
the  book  that  follows  from  what  has  just  been  set 
forth,  is  the  separation  of  the  story  of  Job  from  the 
philosophical  discussion  occasioned  by  the  story;  and 
here  we  touch  upon  the  most  significant  of  misunder- 
standings in  regard  to  our  book  which  is  still  widely 
prevalent.  To  the  average  person  who  has  been  ac- 
customed to  think  of  the  Book  of  Job  as  a  unit  com- 
position, written  by  one  person  as  a  book  generally  is 
in  our  days,  there  is  only  one  Job.  In  reality  there 
are  two,  the  Job  of  the  story  and  the  Job  in  the 
discussions  with  his  three  companions.  The  only 
connection  between  the  two  Jobs  is  the  similarity 
in  the  name. 

An  uncritical  tradition  is  responsible  for  the  con- 
fusion, for  the  compilers  of  the  book  in  its  original 
form  did  all  that  lay  in  their  power  to  distinguish  be- 
tween the  two.  Even  externally  the  Job  of  the  story 
is  separated  from  the  Job  in  the  discussions.  The  story 
of  the  pious,  patient,  taciturn  Job  is  told  in  prose, ^^ 
whereas  the  other  Job  who  is  impatient,  and  re- 
bellious, voluble  in  the  denunciation  of  the  cruel  fate 
meted  out  to  him,  and  blasphemous  in  his  charges  of 
injustice  against  the  Creator  of  the  universe  in  con- 
trol of  the  destinies  of  mankind  is  made  to  speak  in 
poetry,  as  are  his  friends.    Apart  from  this,  the  Job 


"  Chapters  i  and  2  and  the  conclusion  of  the  story  (though  modified 
from  its  original  form)  chapter  42,  7-17.  The  distinction  is  made  evident  in  the 
Revised  Version,  as  in  other  modern  translations. 

39 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

who  when  misfortunes  follow  upon  disasters  in  close 
succession  exclaims — 

"Yahweh  has  given,  and  Yahweh  has  taken, 
Blessed  be  the  name  of  Yahweh."    (2,  21). 

cannot  possibly  be  the  same  as  the  one  who  at  the  out- 
set of  the  Symposium  between  him  and  his  companions 
gives  vent  to  his  embittered  soul  in  the  most  vehe- 
ment terms: 


I  "Perish  the  day  on  which  I  was  born,  \ 

\    And  the  night  when  a  male  was  conceived."   |(3, 


3.) 


Can  there  be  a  more  striking  contrast  than  between 
the  Job  in  the  story  who,  when  called  upon  by  his 
unsympathetic  wife  to  do  away  with  himself  and  thus 
'^  put  an  end  to  his  suif erings,  asks : 

"Should  we  indeed  receive  the  good  from  God,  but  the 
evil  we  should  not  receive"?    (2,  10.) 

and  the  Job  in  the  discussion,  whose  piercing  cry  of 
despair  resounds  through  the  ages : 


/ 


"Why  did  I  not  die  at  the  womb, 
Come  forth  from  the  lap  and  perish? 


\        Why  did  knees  receive  me  ? 


And  why  were  there  breasts  to  give  me  suck?"  (3,  1 1-12.) 

One  must  admire  the  persistency  of  the  uncritical 
tradition  which  thus  succeeded  in  confusing  the  two 
Jobs,  in  the  face  of  the  contradiction  between  the  one 
as  not  "sinning  with  his  lips, "(2,  10)  despite  all  that 
he  had  to  endure,  and  the  unbridled  blasphemy  of 
the  other  Job  who  exclaims  to  God, 

"I  will  not  restrain  my  mouth; 
I  will  give  voice  to  my  despair. 


40 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

I  prefer  strangling  of  my  soul, 

Death  rather  than  my  pains. 

I  refuse  to  live  any  longer; 

Cease,  for  my  days  are  vanity."     (7,  11  and  15-16.) 

Nor  does  the  Job  of  the  discussion  stop  short  ofv 
y^ccusing  God  of  deliberate  injustice.    He  goes  so  far  \ 
(  as  to  suggest  that  it  is  God's  nature  to  be  cruel,  to  take  j 
^pleasure  in  seeing  the  innocent  suffer:  / 

"If  I  were  in  the  right,  my  mouth  ^^  would  condemn  me; 
If  I  were  entirely  right,  He  would  twist  the  verdict. 


The  guiltless  and  the  wicked  He  destroys. 
If  a  scourge  should  suddenly  strike  one  dead,' 
\He  would  laugh  at  the  death  of  the  innocent.'?    (9,  20-23.) 

Can  a  denial  of  a  merciful  Providence  go  further  ^,  The 
Job  of  the  story  has  sublime  faith  in  God's  justice,- 
despite  all  appearances  to  the  contrary.  The  Job  of 
the  discussions  conceives  of  God  as  strong  and  povi^er- 
ful,  but  as  arbitrary  and  without  a  sense  of  justice. 
Such  are  the  two  Jobs,  the  one  as  far  removed  from' 
the  other  as  heaven  is  from  earth — 

"Look  here,  upon  this  picture,  and  on  this. 


THE  FRIENDS  IN  THE  FOLKTALE  AND  IN  THE 
SYMPOSIUM 

The  contrast  between  the  story  and  the  setting 
in  the  discussion  extends  to  the  portrayal  of  the 
three  friends  and  to  the  conception  of  God.  In  the 
story,  as  told  in  the  opening  two  chapters,  the  friends 
are  intensely  sympathetic.    They  are  shocked  at  the 

"  i.e.y  my  complaints  against  fate. 

41 


.     rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

appearance  of  Job;  they  are  so  deeply  moved  by  the 

misfortunes  that  have  overwhelmed  him  and  by  the 

^sufferings  that  he  endures  as  to  be  incapable  of  speech. 

Their  sympathy  is  expressed  by  their  silence.    But  j 

note  the  contrast  when  we  come  to  the  Symposium.  / 

Their  sympathy  changes  to  harshness  in  a  steadily/ 

ascending  scale.    Eliphaz,  the  first  to  speak,  begins,  tp 

•be  sure,  in  an  apologetic  strain,  excusing  himself  as  it 

were  for  venturing  to  offer  a  suggestion  to  Job  as  to 

the  cause  of  his  suffering,  but  only  to  advance  to  a 

rebuke  that  is  none  the  less  stinging  for  being  put  in 

the  form  of  a  question : 

"  Can  man  be  more  righteous  than  God  ? 
Can  a  man  be  purer  than  his  Maker?"    (4,  17.) 

The  implication  is  clear,  and  with  subtle  skill  Eliphaz 

advances  to  a  more  direct  charge  that  Job  must  have 

committed  some  great  wrong  which  brought  on  his 

hard  fate. 

"I  have  seen  the  foolish  take  root; 
But  his  habitation  of  a  sudden  is  swept  away. 
His  sons  far  from  salvation, 
And  crushed,  with  none  to  save  [them]."    (5,  3-4.) 

Eliphaz  uses  the  milder  term  "fooHsh,"  but  he  means 
"wicked;"  and  he  wishes  to  leave  no  doubt  in  Job's 
mind  that  his  only  hope  is  to  confess  his  guilt  and  to 
throw  himself  on  the  mercy  of  God. 

If  Eliphaz  in  his  first  speech  is  somewhat  re- 
strained, not  so  Bildad  and  Zophar,  who  introduce 
their  arguments  with  sharp  invectives,  and  whose  ex- 
ample is  followed  by  Eliphaz  in  his  subsequent 
speeches.  There  is  no  trace  of  friendly  sympathy  in 
Bildad's  greeting: 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

"How  long  wilt  thou  babble  thus? 
Thy  words  are  a  mighty  wind."    (8,  i.) 

and  there  is  downright  hostility  in  Zophar's  opening 
taunt : 

"Should  one  full  of  words  remain  unanswered? 
Should  a  babbler  be  acquitted?"  ,  ^i,  i.) 

The  friend^  in  the  stdry^oi^OT  become  the  ac- 
cusers in  th&  ois'cussion.  One  after  the  other  declares 
that  Job — in  fla^Mnt: contradiction  to  the  assumption 
throughout  the-efery- — is  a  wicked  sinner  whose  pun- 
ishment is  merited  because  of  his  unrepentant  nature, 
which  manifests  itself  in  the  charges  of  injustice  that 
he  hurls  against  the  Almighty  as  the  cause  of  his  ills 
and  woes.  We  almost  lose  sight  of  the  main  discus- 
sion in  the  great  variety  of  the  taunts,  rebukes  and 
charges  brought  by  the  three  companions  against  Job. 

VI 

THE  TWO  CONCEPTIONS  OF  GOD 

There  are  also  two  conceptions  of  God.  The 
Yahweh  of  the  story  is  a  different  being  from  the 
Elohim  ^^  in  the  discussions.  Yahweh  is  proud  of 
Job's  piety  and  has  supreme  confidence  that  His 
"servant  Job"  will  endure  the  test  to  which  he  is  put 

**  Elohim,  varying  with  El,  is  a  generic  designation  like  our  **God"  or 
"Deity,"  in  contrast  to  Yahweh,  the  name  of  the  old  national  deity  of  the 
Hebrews.  So  personal  was  the  name  Yahweh  that  it  became  customary  to 
avoid  the  pronunciation  and  to  substitute  for  it  "Adonai"  meaning  "Master," 
"Lord."  The  substitute  was  not  due  to  the  holiness  of  the  name  Yahweh,  as 
the  later  tradition  assumed,  but  on  the  contrary  to  its  distasteful  association 
with  a  deity  limited  in  scope  to  one  people  and  restricted  in  jurisdiction  to  the 
territory  controlled  by  that  people.  The  later  documents  in  the  Pentateuchal 
compilation  use  "Elohim,"  i.e.^  Deity,  which  is  impersonal,  just  as  we  might 
to-day  prefer  "Almighty"  to  the  term  "God,"  because  of  the  strong  implication 
of  personality  in  the  current  use  of  God.  See  further  the  note  to  the  translation 
of  chapter  12,  9. 

43 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

at  the  instigation  of  Satan.  Yahweh  boasts  of  Job  as 
one  might  take  pride  in  a  fine  achievement. 

"Hast  thou  observed  my  servant  Job?  There  is  none  like 
him  in  the  earth — pious  and  upright." 

*' There's  a  fine  fellow,"  Yahweh  says  to  Satan.  See 
what  a  splendid  creature  I  have  made  of  him!  One  is 
tempted  to  say  that  the  dialogue  between  Yahweh 
and  Satan  has  a  touch  of  bonhomie  in  it  that  is  in  re- 
freshing contrast  to  the  severe  and  forbidding  pic- 
ture we  receive  of  the  Deity  in  the  philosophical 
poem.  Goethe  in  the  prologue  to  Faust,  based  on  the 
two  introductory  chapters  of  Job,  has  caught  this 
spirit  in  the  scene  between  the  Almighty  and  Mephis- 
topheles,  though  he  has  also  intensified  it  by  a 
thorough  modernization  of  the  scene  itself.  ^^ 

The  use  of  a  generic  designation  of  the  Deity  like 
Elohim  to  avoid  the  personal  quality  involved  in  the 
more  specific  name  Yahweh — ^is  intentional;  and 
similarly,  El,  Eloah  and  Sbaddai  are  employed  as 
synonyms  of  Elohim,  because  they  conjure  up  the 
picture  of  a  Being  of  universal  scope  and  power 
whom  one  approaches  in  aise,  and  whose  decision 
once  made  is  unchangeable.!  The  God  portrayed  by 
the  friends  is  stem  and  unbending,  while  for  Job  He 
becomes  a  cold  tyrant,  indifferent  to  appeals  for 
mercy  even  when  they  come  from  those  whose  lips 
are  clean  and  whose  hearts  are  pureTl    ^^ 

How,  then,  are  we  to  account  Tor  the  two  Jobs, 
the  two  varying  portrayals  of  the  three  companions 
and  the  two  conceptions  of  God  1    It  is  only  necessary 

^®  Eckermann's  Conversations  with  Goethe  under  date  of  Januarj'^,  1825. 

44 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

to  put  the  question  in  order  to  show  the  obviousness 
of  the  answer  that_the  story  of  Job  is  independent  of 
the  philosophical  poem;  and  if  independent  also  older. 
Three  passages  inEzekiel  ^^  come  to  our  aid  in  estab- 
lishing the  existence  in  early  days  of  a  current  tradi- 
tion about  a  man  of  great  piety  whose  name  was  Job. 
The  prophet,  in  order  to  drive  home  his  doctrine  that, 
on  the  one  hand,  God  does  not  punish  His  people 
without  cause,  and  that,  on  the  other,  punishment 
for  wrongs  and  crimes  cannot  be  averted  by  the  ex- 
istence of  some  righteous  members  of  the  community 
— as  in  the  case  of  Abraham's  plea  to  save  Sodom  and 
Gomorrah  for  the  sake  of  the  few  righteous  in  the 
multitude  of  sinners, — declares  that  even  if  such  men 
as  Noah,  Daniel  and  Job  were  living  in  the  midst  of 
the  sinful  nation,  their  virtues  would  only  secure 
their  own  deliverance  from  the  four  scourges — the 
sword,  famine,  evil  beasts  and  pestilence — decreed 
for  Jerusalem.  The  juxtaposition  with  Noah  and 
Daniel  shows  that  Job,  like  these  two  men,  had  come 
to  be  regarded  as  a  model  and  type  of  piety  and  human 
excellence.  Ezekiel,  is  anterior  to  the  Book  of  Job, 
as  he  is  by  four  centuries  earlier  than  the  Book  of 
Daniel,  in  which  the  traditional  Daniel  is  utilized  as  a 
medium  for  encouraging  pious  Jews,  suffering  under 
the  tyranny  of  Antiochus  Epiphanes  (175-164  b.  c), 
to  remain  steadfast  in  their  faith.  ^^  The  tradition 
about  Job  survives,  however,  the  composition  of  the 
book  which  is  called  by  his  name,  for  in  the  Epistle  of 

"  Ezekiel  14,  14;  16,  18  and  20. 

^  That  this  is  the  aim  of  the  various  sections  into  which  the  Book  of 
Daniel  may  be  divided  is  now  the  generally  accepted  view  of  scholars.  See  e.g.. 
Driver,  Commentary  on  Daniel,  p.  Ixv  seq. 

45 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

James  (5,  11),  Job  is  incidentally  referred  to  as  an  ex- 
ample of  piety  and  patience.  As  late  as  the  days  of 
Theodore  of  Mopsuestia,  (died  c.  428  A.  D.)  whom  we 
have  already  had  occasion  to  mention,^^  the  story  of 
the  patient  Job  who  becomes  in  the  popular  concep- 
tion a  holy  prophet  was  still  current  in  a  form  which 
suggests  to  Theodore  that  the  author  of  the  Book  of 
Job  had  taken  some  undue  liberties  with  the  original 
tale.  The  Arabs  have  preserved  traditions  about  Job,^^ 
which  point  to  the  growth  of  the  popular  tale  even  after 
it  had  been  given  a  literary  form  among  the  Hebrews. 
We  are,  therefore,  justified  in  concluding  that 
from  an  early  age,  Job  had  become  a  popular  figure 
among  the  Hebrews.  In  accordance  with  the  ten- 
dency of  folktales  the  story  received  additions  from 
time  to  time,  and  it  also  shared  the  fate  of  popular 
tales  in  being  carried  from  one  people  to  another. 

VII 

THE  NON-HEBRAIC  ORIGIN  OF  THE  STORY  OF  JOB 

It  does  not  follow  that  the  tale  of  the  pious  man 
who  became  the  prototype  for  the  virtuous  man  not  to 
be  moved  from  his  position  by  any  misfortunes  that 
might  sweep  over  him  originated  among  the  He- 
brews. Indeed,  the  name  Job — for  which  there  is  no 
satisfactory  Hebrew  etymology  and  which  we  do  not 
encounter  elsewhere  in  the  Old  Testament — points 
to  a  foreign  origin;  and  if,  as  we  may  properly  assume, 
the  statement  in  the  prologue  to  the  Book  of  Job  that 

1^  Above,  p.  25. 

2°  In  the  "  Stories  of  the  Prophets"  by  Thala'abi  (d.  1035  a.d.).  A  trans- 
lation by  Prof.  D.  B.  Macdonald  will  be  found  in  the  American  Journal  of 
Semitic  Languages,  Vol.  14,  pp.  145-161. 

46 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

he  lived  in  the  land  of  Uz,  which  Kes  to  the  east  of 
Palestine,  was  part  of  the  popular  tale  as  it  circulated 
among  the  Hebrews,  it  becomes  even  more  definite 
that  Job  was  not  a  Hebrew,  as  little  as  the  three  com- 
panions were  Hebrews. ^^  The  entire  setting  of  the 
story  is  in  fact  non-Hebraic.  Job  is  described  as 
"greater  than  any  of  the  sons  of  the  East, "  (i,  3)  in  a 
manner  to  suggest  that  he  belongs  to  that  vague  re- 
gion known  as  "East, "  but  without  any  suggestion  of 
a  connection  with  the  "sons  of  Israel";  and  it  is 
rather  surprising  that  in  the  adaptation  of  the  tale  to 
the  purposes  of  the  discussion,  which  we  must  per- 
force assume,  a  more  Hebraic  atmosphere  should  not 
have  been  given  to  it.  In  the  dialogue  between  God 
and  Satan,  the  specific  Hebraic  name  Yahweh  is  in- 
troduced, but  Job  himself  is  represented  as  using  the 
general  name  Elohim,  (i,  5  and  2,  10)  as  is  also  his 
wife  (2,  9.)  It  is  only  in  his  pious  submission  to  the 
Divine  will,  that  the  name  Yahweh  is  introduced  in 
what  is  probably  a  quotation  from  a  "Yahweh" 
prayer.  That  such  a  touch  as  Job  himself  bringing 
sacrifices  without  the  mediation  of  a  priest,  as  de- 
manded by  the  Pentateuchal  codes,  should  have  been 
retained  in  the  adaptation  may  be  taken  as  a  further 
proof  of  the  unconscious  influence  exerted  by  the  non- 
Hebraic  origin  of  the  tale — an  influence  strong  enough 
to  have  kept  out  of  it  any  reference  to  specific  He- 
braic rites  or  customs. ^2 

21  Shown  by  the  names  and  by  the  statement  of  their  homes  In  parts 
of  Arabia.    See  the  note  to  the  translation  of  2,  11. 

22  The  term  used  for  sacrifices  is  the  most  general  that  could  have  been 
selected.  The  annual  festival  that  brings  Job's  family  together  (i,  4-5)  is  simi- 
larly of  a  most  general  character — without  any  warrant  in  any  of  the  Penta- 
teuchal codes. 

47 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

We  are  thus  led  to  the  conclusion  that  the  story 
of  Job  was  a  tale  that  became  current  in  ancient 
Palestine  and  wandered,  as  tales  do  from  place  to 
place,  subject  to  modification  as  it  passed  down  the 
ages,  altered  to  some  extent  in  its  adaptation  to  dif- 
ferent localities,  but  retaining  enough  traces  of  its 
origin  to  preserve  its  distinctive  character  as  a  gen- 
eral illustration  of  the  spirit  in  which  misfortunes  and 
suiferings  should  be  received  and  endured.  The  story 
of  a  pious  man  who  maintains  his  firm  faith  and  his 
simple  piety  under  most  distressing  circumstances, 
who  bore  all  trials  in  patience  was  what  we  would 
nowadays  call  a  good  "Sunday  School"  tale — one 
that  might  be  told  with  profit  to  encourage  the  young 
and  to  edify  their  elders.  Tales  of  this  character  are 
common  enough  in  antiquity.  The  ''good  man''  is  a 
type  in  folktales  as  common  as  is  his  counterpart — 
the  '*bad  man."  It  is  not  surprising,  therefore,  to 
encounter  ''Jobs''  elsewhere,  as,  for  example,  in 
India  where  we  have  the  tale  of  an  "upright  king" 
who  loses  his  possessions  and  sells  his  boy,  his  wife 
and  finally  himself  in  order  to  carry  on  his  works  of 
charity,  and  to  whom  all  is  restored  in  the  end  because 
he  had  endured  the  burdens  of  misfortunes  in  pa- 
tience and  without  complaint.^^ 

Similarly,  in  the  story  of  the  pious  king  of  Nippur 
above  referred  to,^*  who,  like  Job,  is  smitten  with 
sore  disease  and  is  finally  restored  to  health  through 
the  intervention  of  the  gods,  there  are  analogies  with 

»  Maive  Stokes,  liidian  Fairy  TaUs,  Calcutta,  1879,  pp.  68-72. 

"^Page  37.  See  an  article  by  the  writer,  "A  Babylonian  Job,"  in  the 
Journal  of  Biblical  Literature,  Vol.  25,  pp.  125-191  and  Barton,  Archaology 
of  the  Bible t  pp.  392-97. 

48 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

the  philosophical  discussions  in  Job  that  are  most 
suggestive,  but  even  such  literary  analogies  furnish 
no  warrant  for  assuming  a  direct  influence  from  the 
outside  on  our  Biblical  book.  The  problem  suggested 
by  the  suife rings  of  Job  is  a  perfectly  natural  one, 
so  that  if  we  find  it  discussed  elsewhere  it  would 
merely  point  to  a  stage  of  intellectual  development 
in  which  people — or  at  least  the  choice  spirits — were 
no  longer  entirely  satisfied  with  the  conventional 
view  that  suff^erings  are  due  to  sin. 

VIII 

ORAL  TRANSMISSION  VERSUS  LITERARY 
PRODUCTION 

It  is  not  necessary  to  assume  that  a  definite 
literary  form  was  given  to  the  tale  among  the  He- 
brews before  it  was  incorporated  into  the  Book  of  Job, 
though,  on  the  other  hand,  one  cannot  dogmatically 
assert  that  this  could  not  have  been  the  case.  Stories 
in  the  ancient  East,  as  to  a  large  extent  still  in  the 
East  of  today,  are  recited,  not  read.  Our  specifically 
Western  attitude  towards  mental  productivity  can 
hardly  conceive  of  literature  except  as  embodied  in  a 
definite  written  form,  whereas  until  the  East  came 
under  the  influence  of  the  West  through  contact  with 
Greek  civilization  in  the  second  half  of  the  fourth 
century  b.  c,  the  oral  transmission  without  a  definite 
literary  form  was  the  regular  mould  of  literature  to 
which  the  written  form,  if  it  existed  at  all,  was  en- 
tirely secondary  and  incidental — memoranda  to  serve 
as  a  prop  in  the  further  oral  transmission.    Under  such 

4  49 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

conditions  a  story  or  even  a  book  might  have  existed 
for  ages  before  it  received  what  we  would  call  a  book 
form.  One  of  the  chief  reasons  why  the  modern 
critical  study  of  the  Bible  aroused  such  hostility  when 
its  results  began  to  be  disseminated  among  the  lay 
public  and  why  it  is  still  eyed  with  suspicion  in  many 
circles,  is  because  we  thoughtlessly — almost  un- 
consciously— apply  our  modern  and  Western  con- 
ceptions of  literary  composition  to  an  age  to  which 
they  do  not  apply.  As  I  have  pointed  out  elsewhere,^^ 
we  can  hardly  conceive  of  a  book  without  a  title  and 
an  author,  whereas  these  two  features  are  precisely 
the  ones  which  are  lacking  in  ancient  compositions 
until  we  reach  the  age  of  Greek  literature,  which  may 
be  said  to  have  invented  the  author. 

The  written  form,  when  it  arose  in  the  ancient 
Orient,  was  not  due  to  the  promptings  of  the  literary 
instinct,  or  to  an  ambition  on  the  part  of  certain 
individuals  to  be  known  as  authors,  but  purely  as  a 
preservative  method  to  prevent  tales  and  traditions 
that  no  longer  enjoyed  a  full  spontaneous  existence 
among  the  people  from  perishing  or  from  being  dis- 
torted. Writing  begins  when  genuine  production 
comes  to  an  end.  As  long  as  a  tale  retained  its  full 
popularity,  as  long  as  a  tradition  formed,  as  it  were, 
part  and  parcel  of  the  life  of  the  people  there  was  no 
urgent  necessity  to  give  the  tale  or  tradition  a  written 
form.  It  lived  in  the  minds  and  the  hearts  of  the 
people.  And  so  with  the  exhortations  of  a  prophet, 
with  the  decisions  of  a  lawgiver,  or  even  with  the 


A  Gentle  Cynic y  pp.  31-41. 

SO 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

prayers  of  a  Psalmist,  giving  expression  to  emotions 
shared  by  the  entire  group.  There  was  no  occasion  for 
the  definite  written  form  until  with  the  advent  of  a 
new  age  with  new  interests  and  new  problems,  the 
tale  no  longer  made  its  appeal,  the  tradition  was  no 
longer  living,  the  exhortation  was  in  danger  of  be- 
coming a  memory,  the  law  needed  reinforcement,  and 
the  prayer  through  the  development  of  the  cult  was 
embodied  into  a  fixed  ritual. 

It  is  also  immaterial  whether  such  a  man  as  Job 
ever  existed,  just  as  it  is  of  no  consequence  whether 
there  was  such  a  man  as  Noah  or  Daniel.  A  rabbi  of 
the  Talmudic  age,  ^^  betraying  a  critical  spirit  which 
is  quite  exceptional,  declares  in  one  place  that  Job  is  a 
product  of  popular  fancy;  and  it  is  at  all  events  clear 
that  he  as  well  as  Noah  and  Daniel,  as  likewise  Abra- 
ham, became  a  mere  type  of  steadfast  piety,  just  as  to 
a  later  age  David  and  Solomon,  despite  the  historical 
character  of  much — ^though  far  from  everything — 
that  is  told  of  them  become  types,  David  of  the  pious 
king  to  whom  an  unhistorical  tradition  subsequently 
ascribed  the  Psalms,  and  Solomon  of  the  wise  king  to 
whom  Biblical  productions  embodying  the  wisdom 
of  the  age  were  assigned.^^  This  tendency  to  trans- 
form traditional  or  historical  personages  into  types 
is  a  by-product  of  the  spirit  peculiar  to  the  ancient 
East,  which  only  gradually  reaches  the  point  where 
the  individual  stands  out  in  sharp  outline  from 
his  surroundings. 


M  Talmud  Babli,  Baba  Bathra  I5». 

"  See  further  on  this  ''A  Gentle  Cynic^*  p.  52  seq. 

SI 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

IX 

THE  MODIFICATIONS  IN  THE  FOLKTALE 
THE  FIGURE  OF  SATAN 

We  are  nowprepared  to  face  the  question,  whether 
we  have  the  story  of  Job  entirely  in  its  original  form 
in  the  prologue,  or  whether  there  are  some  features 
which  are  due  to  its  adaptation  to  the  purpose  of  a 
philosophical  discussion!  The  story  being  of  non- 
Jewish  origin,  as  has  been  made  probable,  the  intro- 
duction of  the  name  Yahweh  in  the  prologue  is 
obviously  a  natural  consequence  of  its  adoption  by  the 
Hebrews.  The  scene  in  heaven  in  which  likewise  the 
name  of  Yahweh  is  used  with,  however,  the  attend- 
ants or  ministers  of  Yahweh  spoken  of  as  the  bene 
Elohim  "Sons  of  God,"  does  not  strike  one  as  a  pop- 
ular feature.  Particularly  through  the  introduction 
of  the  figure  of  Satan  does  the  scene  receive  a  theo- 
logical admixture  that  reflects  a  more  sophisticated 
age  than  the  one  in  which  the  story  arose.  One  can 
in  fact  cut  out  the  scene  in  heaven  without  detri- 
ment to  the  essence  of  the  story,  and  some  scholars 
see  in  the  scene  an  interpolation  subsequent  to  the 
completion  of  the  book.  This,  however,  is  most  un- 
likely. For  not  only  is  the  dramatic  efi'ect  of  the  tale 
heightened  by  the  test  to  which  Job  is  put  by  the 
agreement  between  God  and  Satan,  but  the  intent  to 
show  that  Job  is  really  innocent  and  is  condemned  to 
sufi'ering  by  a  deliberate  and  quite  arbitrary  decision 
of  Yahweh  is  in  accord  with  the  main  theme  of  the 
Symposium  that  sufferings  in  this  world  are  not 
always  due  to  just  causes,  that  the  Divine  power 
which  controls  the  destinies  of  nature  and  of  mankind 

52 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

does  not  work  under  the  inflexible  law  of  ethical 
standards. 

We  conclude,  then,  that  the  dialogues  in  heaven 
between  Yahweh  and  Satan  represent  modifications 
of  the  folktale  that  may  represent  the  contribution  of 
those  to  whom  we  owe  the  thought  of  making  the 
story  the  vehicle  of  a  discussion  of  human  suffering. 
There  is  a  certain  callousness  in  the  readiness  with 
which  Yahweh  is  willing  to  accede  to  the  suggestion 
of  Satan  to  put  Job  to  the  test,  that  betokens  the 
questioning  spirit.  The  popular  tale  everywhere  is 
marked  by  naivete;  it  is  free  from  self-consciousness, 
and  above  all  it  is  without  a  skeptical  taint.  Even  a 
touch  of  skepticism  would  vitiate  the  flavor  of  the  tale. 
It  would  discountenance  its  single  import,  to  show  how 
a  pious  and  good  man  would  act  under  the  blows  of 
misfortune.  The  folktale  of  Job  starts  from  the 
common  experience  of  changeable  fate  in  the  fortunes 
of  men.  Its  lesson  is  that  man  must  endure  patiently 
and  in  resignation,  and  must  not  be  swerved  from  the 
line  of  righteous  conduct  by  life's  hard  experiences. 
The  naivete  of  both  the  tale  and  its  lesson  disappears 
the  moment  we  are  told  that  the  suff'erings  of  Job  are 
due  to  a  wager.  The  mystery  of  suffering  which  is  its 
chief  claim  to  popular  attention  is  dissolved. 

The  figure  of  Satan,  as  he  appears  in  the  prologue, 
arrests  our  attention.  The  term  connotes  an  "ad- 
versary," and  it  is  not  infrequently  used  in  the  Old 
Testament  for  a  human  "opponent"  ^^  as  the  abstract 
term  derived  from  it,  sitndhy  means  "hostility."^ 

^^.g.,a.  number  of  times  to  designate  adversaries  of  Solomon,  I  Kings, 
II,  14.   23-25. 

^  A  late  term  occurring  in  the  memoirs  of  Ezra  (4,  6). 

53 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

The  Satan  in  the  story  of  Job  is  an  evil  spirit,  but 
of  a  diiferent  character  from  the  demons  and  jtnns, 
the  mischievous  sprites  of  popular  belief,  to  which 
the  Hebrews  in  common  with  all  people  of  anti- 
quity— and  for  that  matter  of  modem  times — clung, 
whose  presence  in  the  human  body  manifested  itself 
as  disease,  and  to  whom  also  the  minor  ills  and 
the  many  accidents  of  life  were  ascribed.  Such 
demons  were  supposed  to  act  at  the  behest  of  the 
gods,  or  they  were  under  the  control  of  human  sor- 
cerers and  witches.  Satan  in  the  prologue  to  Job  is 
a  semi-divine  being,  placed  on  a  par  with  the  *'Sons 
of  God, "  though  occupying  an  independent  position. 
He  has  not  yet  advanced  to  the  position  of  the  "ac- 
cuser" as  which  he  appears  in  Zechariah,  (3,  1-2)  but 
he  IS  on  the  road  to  assuming  the  general  role  of  an 
enemy  of  man — the  one  who  tempts  man  towards  evil. 
The  development  of  the  conception  stops  short  in  the 
Old  Testament  as  the  one  to  whom  evil  thoughts  are 
ascribed  in  an  age  which  found  it  distasteful  to  as- 
sociate such  a  rule  with  God  himself.  The  comparison 
of  n  Sam.  24,  I  with  the  parallel  passage  I  Chron.  21, 
I  is  instructive  in  this  respect.  In  the  earlier  compila- 
tion it  is  God's  anger  enkindled  against  Israel  that  is 
set  down  as  inducing  David  to  sin  by  planning  a 
census  of  the  people,  whereas  by  the  time  that  Chron- 
icles came  to  be  compiled — in  the  third  century  b.  c. 
— such  an  explanation  was  regarded  as  not  in  accord 
with  the  conception  of  a  spiritual  Power  at  the  head 
of  the  universe.  God  is  replaced  by  Satan,  acting 
apparently  independently.  It  is  not,  however,  till 
New  Testament  times  that  Satan  becomes  the  fuU- 

54 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

fledged  tempter,  assuming  the  guise  of  a  sequent  in 
the  famous  third  chapter  of  Genesis,  which  becomes 
the  basis  of  St.  Paul's  Christology.  ~^      — 

In  the  scene  of  the  heavenly  court,  as  depicted  in 
the  Book  of  Job,  there  is  not  as  yet  any  inherent 
opposition  between  God  as  the  source  of  good,  and 
Satan  as  the  cause  of  evil,  such  as  we  encounter  in 
Zoroastrianism  where  the  control  of  the  destinies  of 
the  universe  is  divided  between  Ahuramazda,  the 
good  power,  and  Ahriman,  the  evil  one.  ^°  In  the 
passage  quoted  from  the  prophet  Zechariah  and  which 
belongs  to  the  Persian  period  of  Hebrew  history,  i.  ^., 
after  the  sixth  century,  scholars  are  inclined  to  re- 
cognize the  influence  of  Persian  dualism,  but  hardly 
in  the  person  of  Satan  as  depicted  in  the  prologue  to 
Job,  unless  it  be  the  personification  of  the  figure  as  a 
semi-independent  being.  For,  be  it  noted,  Satan  can- 
not afflict  Job  without  the  express  permission  of  Yah- 
weh,  and  he  must  keep  the  affliction  heaped  upon  Job 
within  the  bounds  assigned  by  Yahweh  (i,  12;  2,  6). 
He  is,  as  the  name  Satan  indicates,  still  essentially  an 
"adversary."  He  is  a  cynic  who  belittles  the  char- 
acter of  man,  and  his  cynical  attitude  towards  human 
virtues  is  admirably  and  adroitly  displayed  in  the  two 
opening  chapters.  Instead  of  sharing  the  universal 
admiration  for  Job,  he  suggests  that  Job  is  worldly- 
wise  in  being  a  model  of  goodness  and  piety.  It  pays 
him  to  be  virtuous.  We  can  picture  him  asking  with 
a  shrug  of  the  shoulder : 

"Is  Job  God-fearing  for  nought?"    (i,  9.) 

'°See  the  section  on  "Zoroastrianism  and  the  Book  of  Job"  below  in 
chapter  V. 

55 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

Why  should  he  not  be  good,  since  God  is  so  good  to 
him?  When  Job  endures  the  first  test  of  losing  his 
wealth,  his  family  and  his  household,  Satan  still 
questions  the  sincerity  of  Job,  and  with  aggravated 
cynicism  suggests  that  the  pious  man  is  so  wrapt  up  in 
selfishness  that  he  will  endure  every  loss  as  long  as  it 
does  not  touch  his  own  life.  "There  is  a  skin  beneath 
the  skin  " — (2,  4) .  Only  the  outer  epidermis  has  been 
touched  by  the  misfortunes  that  have  come  to  Job. 
Prick  the  inner  skin — ^theman  himself — and  see  what 
happens?  "All  that  a  man  has  will  he  give  for  his 
life. "  The  subtlety  of  Satan,  as  here  portrayed,  is 
sufficient  to  show  that  the  scene  is  not  part  of  a 
genuine  folktale,  but  the  product  of  a  more  advanced 
age,  intent  upon  giving  the  story  a  special  turn. 


"THE  SONS  OF  GOD" 

But,  it  may  be  objected,  do  not  the  "Sons  of 
God,''  occurring  in  the  scene  that  describes  the  Divine 
court,  grouped  around  God,  point  to  a  primitive  con- 
ception ?  Assuredly,  for  the  phrase  must  be  brought 
into  connection  with  the  strange  semi-mythological 
tale  in  the  sixth  chapter  of  Genesis,  where  as  part  of 
the  general  conception  of  the  universe  the  "Sons  of 
God  "  are  portrayed  as  attracted  by  the  beauty  of  the 
daughters  of  men,  and  by  comminglingwith  them,  pro- 
ducing a  brood  of  giants.  The  story  was  originally  told 
to  explain  the  tradition,  so  common  among  peoples  of 
antiquity,  of  a  once  mightier  race  that  disappeared. 
Its  original  purpose  was  not  derogatory  either  to  man- 
se 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

kind  or  to  the  Divine  beings  who  thus  helped  to  pro- 
duce the  giants  of  old.  To  the  stem  moralist,  however, 
who  puts  his  own  interpretation  on  the  popular  tra- 
dition of  a  destructive  deluge — originally  a  nature 
myth  to  symbolize  the  annual  change  from  the  dry  to 
the  wet  season — the  giants  become  a  band  of  wicked 
tyrants  whose  superhuman  strength  is  traced  to  an 
unnatural  and  therefore  immoral  union  between 
gods  and  men.  To  him  the  union  with  the  "Sons  of 
God,"  is  rape  committed  on  the  daughters  of  men. 
The  writer  in  Genesis  uses  the  primitive  conception 
of  "Sons  of  God"  to  point  the  moral  of  the  tale, 
and  similarly,  the  one  to  whom  we  owe  the  pro- 
logue in  Job  inserts  in  the  scene  the  old  conception 
of  "Sons  of  God," — ^which  must  have  been  parti- 
cularly distasteful  to  the  strict  monotheist — be- 
cause it  added  picturesqueness  and  heightened  the 
dramatic  effect  of  the  dialogue  between  God  and 
Satan,  taking  place  in  an  assemblage  of  all  the  semi- 
divine  beings  gathered  like  courtiers  around  the 
Divine  throne. 

It  is,  of  course,  possible  that  in  some  version  of 
the  popular  tale  of  Job,  the  praises  of  Job's  piety  were 
celebrated  by  a  chorus  of  minor  gods  or  semi-divine 
beings  in  illustration  of  the  exceptional  position  which 
he  had  acquired  through  his  blameless  and  happy 
life.  The  popular  fancy  would  naturally  ascribe  Job's 
good  fortune  to  the  favor  of  the  Deity  as  a  reward  for 
his  piety.  It  is,  therefore,  conceivable  that  some 
popular  "reciter^' — as  in  the  modern  Arabic  world  we 
still  encounter  such  story-tellers,  adding  new  touches 
to  the  adventures  of  the  popular  hero  Antar,or  to  some 

57 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

scene  from  the  Thousand  and  One  Nights  '^ — should 
have  introduced  an  incident  which  the  writer  of  the 
prologue  further  embellished  with  traits  that  are  dis- 
tinctly not  of  popular  origin.  It  is  foolish  to  be  dog- 
matic on  such  suppositions  which  in  the  nature  of 
things  can  neither  be  established  nor  disproved, 
though  we  may  go  so  far  as  to  place  the  probability  on 
the  side  of  the  hypothesis  that  the  tale  was  popularly 
expanded  to  include  a  scene  in  which  the  "Sons  of 
God"  joined  Yahweh  in  singing  the  praises  of  Job. 
The  point  is  of  comparatively  little  importance  as 
against  the  main  conclusion  that  in  its  present  form 
the  scene  between  God  and  Satan  serves  a  purpose 
foreign  to  the  entire  spirit  of  the  original  tale.  That 
story,  however  much  it  may  have  been  embellished 
by  touches  to  heighten  the  effect,  must  have  retained 
its  simplicity  by  laying  the  sole  stress  on  the  char- 
acter of  Job  as  supremely  good,  on  the  rewards 
granted  to  him  because  of  his  piety,  and  on  the  va- 
riety and  severity  of  his  subsequent  sufferings  which 
he  bore  in  model  patience.  Details  in  the  description 
of  Job's  goodness  as  exemplified  in  his  life  and  of  the 
variety  of  his  possessions  may  have  been  added  end- 
lessly, but  all  such  variations  and  embellishments 
would  keep  to  the  main  purpose  and  trend  of  the  folk- 
tale. The  wager  between  God  and  Satan  robs  the 
story  of  its  flavor,  by  affording  an  explanation  of  Job's 
sufferings,  whereas  the  feature  of  the  story  which  gives 
it  its  charm  is  that  Job  suffers  without  any  apparent 
cause.    He  seeks  for  no  explanation  of  his  sufferings. 

'^  See  the  interesting  chapters  on  modern  reciters  in  the  East,  in  Lane, 
Manners  and  Customs  of  the  Modern  Egyptians,  Vol.  I,  chapters  viii-x. 

S8 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

He  takes  evil  as  he  receives  good,  because  of  his  su- 
preme faith  and  because  of  the  firmness  of  his  char- 
acter that  remains  unaffected  by  the  changing  winds 
of  fortune.  He  is  like  a  mighty  oak  that  gratefully 
raises  its  head  to  receive  the  sunshine  and  that  bends 
to  the  storm  without  being  moved  from  its  place.  The 
folk  spirit  would  have  instinctively  rejected  the  sug- 
gestion that  Job's  fate  was  merely  prompted  by  a 
cynical  suspicion  that  Job's  goodness  was  calculated 
selfishness,  and  that  Yah  weh  in  order  to  prove  that  He 
was  right  and  Satan  wrong  was  willing  to  impose 
cruel  sufferings  on  an  innocent  man.  Cut  out  the 
dialogue  and  substitute  for  it,  if  you  will,  a  scene  in 
heaven  with  the  Sons  of  God  joining  Yahweh  in  prais- 
ing Job,  somewhat  like  the  fancy  embodied  in  one  of 
the  Rabbinical  legends  ^^  in  which  the  good  Angels 
sing  the  praises  of  creation  and  urge  God  to  create 
man  despite  the  failings  that  he  will  show,  whereas 
others  less  kindly  disposed  urge  that  he  be  not  created, 
and  you  have  a  much  finer  story  from  the  folktale 
point  of  view  as  well  as  a  truer  one.  For  the  purpose, 
however,  of  the  philosophical  discussion,  the  dialogue 
between  Yahweh  and  Satan  is  not  without  signifi- 
cance, for  it  anticipates  as  has  been  suggested  one  of 
the  main  thoughts  of  the  Symposium  that  the  Divine 
will  does  not  always  act  from  deep  set  motives  of  right 
and  justice. 

XI 

THE  FOUR  EPILOGUES  TO  THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

But,  how  stands  the  case  with  the  three  friends 
who  come  to  comfort  Job  and  end  by  rebuking  him? 

'*  See  Ginzburg,  Legends  of  the  Jews  I,  pp.  52-54. 

59 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

The  names  of  the  three  and  the  districts  from  which 
they  come  vouch  for  their  forming  part  of  the  original 
tale.  They  hear  of  his  sad  fate  and  hasten  to  his  side 
to  help  him  bear  his  heavy  burden,  but  when  they  see 
him  writhing  in  pain,  words  fail  them. 

"Then  they  sat  down  with  him  on  the  ground  seven  days 
and  seven  nights,  without  speaking  a  word  to  him,  because  they 
saw  how  very  great  was  his  pain."     (2,  13.) 

There  you  have  the  folktale  in  its  genuine  form — 
charming  in  its  simplicity  and  impressive  by  its  naivete. 
It  IS  inconceivable  that  such  sympathizers,  feeling 
Job's  grief  as  though  it  were  their  own,  could  under 
any  provocation  become  "sorry  comforters"  (16,  2) 
as  Job  in  the  course  of  the  discussion  calls  them,  just 
as  the  high  intellectual  plane  of  the  philosophical  dis- 
cussions is  entirely  beyond  the  reach  of  the  simple- 
minded  friends  portrayed  in  the  prologue.  If  in  the 
folktale  any  discussions  were  introduced  after  the 
seven  days  of  silence — and  this  was  possibly  the  case 
in  one  of  the  versions  that  floated  about — ^we  may  feel 
quite  certain  that,  true  to  their  original  role,  the  three 
friends  endeavored  to  encourage  Job  to  retain  his 
patience  in  the  assurance  that  God  will  listen  to  his 
entreaties  and  have  pity  on  his  sad  condition.  The 
atmosphere  of  simple,  child-like  faith  and  of  calm 
sweetness  must  have  been  retained  in  the  folktale 
and,  therefore,  we  may  assert  with  considerable 
confidence  that  the  epilogue  of  the  story  (42,  7-17), 
as  told  (in  prose  like  the  prologue)  at  the  close  of  the 
philosophical  book,  has  been  modified  to  make  it 
accord  with  the  purpose  of  the  discussion  super- 
imposed on  the  story  itself. 

60 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

In  its  present  form,  the  epilogue  makes  Yahweh 
manifest  his  displeasure  with  the  three  friends,  for 
they  did  not  speak  "What  was  proper  as  my  servant 
Job  did. "  (42,  7.)  They  are  directed  to  bring  burnt 
offerings  as  an  atonement  and  Job  is  to  intercede  in 
their  behalf  so  as  to  prevent  their  just  punishment 
from  being  meted  out  to  them.  Such  a  conclusion 
presupposes  the  discussions  between  Job  and  his  com- 
panions, and  moreover  points  to  the  triumph  of  Job 
and  to  the  discomfiture  of  the  three  participants  in  the 
Symposium.  It  reflects  the  point  of  view  of  those  who 
entirely  sympathized  with  the  situation  unfolded  in 
the  course  of  the  Symposium  by  the  speeches  of  Job ; 
it  is,  therefore,  in  direct  contradiction  to  the  words — 
in  poetic  form — put  into  the  mouth  of  Job  (42,  6), 
just  before  the  prose  conclusion : 

"Therefore,  I  recall  and  repent, 
In  utter  worthlessness. "  " 

Similarly,  the  other  draft  of  Job's  final  words  (40, 4-5), 
likewise  poetical  in  form: 

"I  am  entirely  unworthy  to  answer  Thee; 
My  hand  I  lay  upon  my  mouth. 
Once  I  have  spoken,  but  never  again; 
Twice,  but  now  no  more," 

is  entirely  out  of  keeping  with  what  must  have  been 
the  original  close  of  the  story,  which  we  clearly  have 
in  42,  10-17,  beginning 

"And  Yahweh  turned  the  fortune  of  Job,  and  Yahweh 
restored  everything  to  Job  in  double  amount." 


See  for  this  translation  of  the  phrase  "dust  and  ashes"  the  note  to  42, 6. 
61 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

Such  further  details  as  the  rejoicing  of  the  entire  fam- 
ily of  the  patient  sufferer  at  the  happy  ending,  the 
congratulatory  gifts  ^^  and  the  praise  of  the  beauty 
of  Job's  daughters  show  that  in  these  verses  we  are 
again  dealing  with  the  naive  folktale.  In  the  prose 
conclusion  we  must,  therefore,  separate  42,  7-9,  which 
belongs  to  the  Symposium  from  42, 10-17,  which  is  the 
original  conclusion  to  the  folktale,  describing  how  all 
ended  happily  because  the  pious  man  endured  in  faith 
and  in  silent  resignation  to  the  Divine  will.  We  thus 
have  no  less  than  four  conclusions  to  the  book,  two  in 
prose  (i)  42,  10-17,  (2)  42,  7-9  and  two  in  poetic  form 
(3)40,  1-14  35  and  (4)  42,  1-6. 

But  the  further  contradiction  involved  between 
the  prose  conclusion  (42,  7-9)  added  by  those  who  re- 
garded Job  as  justified  in  his  argument  against  his 
friends,  and  the  two  poetical  epilogues  in  which  Job  is 
clearly  portrayed  as  in  the  wrong  and,  therefore, 
repenting  in  deep  humility  and  in  consciousness  of 
his  guilt,  needs  to  be  explained. 

The  attempts  of  commentators  to  reconcile  these 
opposite  points  of  view  involve  them  in  subtleties  that 
border  on  sophistry.  Surely,  the  humbled  and  repent- 
ant Job  cannot  be  also  described  as  the  one  who  spoke 
what  was  "proper."  (42,  7)  Nor  can  the  compan- 
ions who  rebuke  Job  for  his  charges  of  injustice  pre- 
ferred against  God  be  held  up  as  "having  kindled 
Yahweh's  anger,"  since  their  rebukes  are  reinforced 

»*  Namely,  the  piece  of  money  and  the  golden  ring  (42,  11),  reflecting 
some  ancient  custom  of  bestowing  congratulatory  gifts  upon  recovery  from 
disease. 

'^  See  the  notes  to  the  translation  which  will  show  that  an  "Introduction" 
has  been  combined  with  this  epilogue. 

62 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

by  God  himself  when  He  is  introduced  in  the  closing 

chapters: 

"Who  is  this  that  darkens  counsel, 
By  words  without  knowledge?"     (38,  2.) 

not  to  speak  of  the  interposed  speeches  of  Eiihu 
(chapters  32-37),  which  are  Hkewise  intended  to  dis- 
prove Job's  contentions  and  to  hold  him  up  to  scorn 
for  his  audacity. 

There  is  only  one  way  out  of  the  difficulty,  to 
wit,  to  regard  the  varying  conclusions  of  the  story  as 
independent  of  one  another.  The  one  in  which  Job  is 
represented  as  being  justified  while  his  friends  are  re- 
buked was  added  to  the  Symposium  in  its  original 
form,  the  two  in  which  Job  confesses  that  he  was 
wrong  belong  to  the  Book  of  Job  in  a  form  amplified 
to  controvert  the  aim  of  the  older  book.  This  process 
of  amplification,  involving  many  hands  and  extending 
over  a  considerable  period,  found  its  crowning  point 
in  the  addition  of  the  two  poetical  prologues  to  the 
two  prose  ones. 

This  leads  us  directly  to  the  composite  character 
of  the  present  Book  of  Job. 


CHAPTER  II 

THE  THREE  STRATA  IN  THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

I 
COLLECTIVE  AND  ANONYMOUS  AUTHORSHIP 

What  has  been  said  in  regard  to  the  gradual  man- 
ner in  which  the  folktale  of  Job  took  on  a  literary 
form  and  was  transformed  in  this  process  to  adapt 
itself  as  a  prologue  to  the  discussion  of  the  philosophi- 
cal problem  applies  to  the  Symposium  (chapters  3-27) 
with  its  supplements  (chapters  28  to  3 1),  as  to  the  two 
appendices  (a),  the  speeches  of  Elihu  (chapters  32-37), 
and  (b)  the  speeches  placed  in  the  mouth  of  Yahweh 
(chapter  38-41).  These  natural  divisions  into  which 
the  Book  of  Job  falls  represent  the  three  main  strata 
of  the  literary  masterpiece.  The  evidence  is  over- 
whelming that  these  three  divisions  are  not  the  pro- 
duction of  one  mind  or  of  one  time;  and  to  those  who 
followed  what  was  set  forth  in  detail  in  a  previous 
publication  ^®  as  to  the  profound  difference  between 
literary  composition  in  ancient  times  and  in  our  days, 
it  will  no  longer  come  as  a  surprise  to  be  told  that 
books  produced  in  the  ancient  Orient  do  not  come 
down  to  us  in  their  original  form,  but  enlarged,  modified 
and  not  infrequently  distorted  through  additions  and 
changes  of  all  kinds — actual  supplements,  comments, 

»^  See  the  author's  "A  Gentle  Cynic,"  pp.  71-101  the  reading  of  which 
sections  is  essential  to  an  understanding  of  the  view  here  taken  of  the  composition 
of  the  Book  of  Job. 

64   ■ 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

answers  to  views  set  forth  and  even  intentional  changes 
to  controvert  unconventional  or  otherwise  objec- 
tionable views.  The  spoken  word  in  the  ancient 
Orient  enjoyed  greater  authority  than  the  written  one. 
What  a  man  said  was  apt  to  be  orally  transmitted 
with  considerable  care,  but  when  something  was 
written  down  it  became,  as  it  were,  public  property 
and  could  be  augmented  and  modified  ad  libitum, 
without  any  realization  that  such  a  process  trespassed 
upon,  the  prerogatives  of  the  one  who  gave  to  a  liter- 
ary production  its  first  draft.  Instead  of  individual 
authorship  we  have  composite  and  anonymous  pro- 
duction. The  difference  between  ancient  Oriental 
and  modem  Western  literary  composition  may  be 
summed  up  in  the  statement  that  with  us  the  fin- 
ished book  begins  its  life,  whereas  in  the  ancient 
Orient  the  final  form  of  a  composition  represents  a 
dead  book — one  that  had  ceased  to  arouse  sufficient 
interest  to  warrant  further  additions  being  made  to  it. 
It  is  significant  as  illustrating  the  persistence 
of  the  Oriental  conception  of  literary  composition 
that  despite  the  late  date,  c.  90  a.  d.,  when  the 
canon  of  the  Old  Testament  was  definitely  fixed, 
the  Book  of  Job  as  well  as  Lamentations  and 
Ruth  and  even  still  later  productions  like  Daniel 
(c.  165  B.  c.)  and  Esther — perhaps  as  late  as 
100  B.  c. — have  come  down  to  us  without  any 
author's  name  attached.  When  we  find  authors 
named  as  in  the  headings  to  Ecclesiastes,  Song  of 
Songs  and  to  most  of  the  Psalms — though  by  no  means 
to  all  2^ — it  is  due  to  very  late  editorship,  at  a  time 

"  See  further  on  this  "J  Gentle  Cynic"  p.  57,  note  22. 
S  6s 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

when  anonymous  and  collective  authorship  had  yielded 
under  the  influence  of  the  Greek  conception  of  indi- 
vidual authorship  to  the  disposition  to  seek  for  an 
author  to  compositions  that  had  after  a  longer  or 
shorter  literary  process  received  their  definite  and 
final  form.  ^^  The  Talmud,  in  a  passage  ^^  embodying 
a  Hst  of  "traditional"  authors  for  Biblical  books, 
names  Moses  as  the  author  of  Job.  It  is  led  to  do  so 
apparently  because  Job  is  described  as  a  patriarch, 
and  therefore  belonging  to  the  patriarchal  period 
portrayed  in  the  Book  of  Genesis.  Since  Genesis 
as  part  of  the  Pentateuch  was  of  Mosaic  origin,  ac- 
cording to  the  Rabbinical  tradition,  the  Book  of  Job 
was  likewise  assigned  to  Moses.  The  fanciful 
character  of  the  assumption  appears  to  have  been 
recognized  even  by  those  who  put  it  forward,  for 
It  did  not  acquire  sufficient  force  to  lead  to  the 
name  of  Moses  being  attached  as  a  heading  to  the 
book,  which  plunges  at  once  in  medias  res  by  the 
statement : 

"There  was  a  man  in  the  land  of  Uz,  whose  name  was  Job." 

The  anonymity  of  the  book  thus  preserved  lightens  the 
task  of  the  investigator  in  his  endeavor  to  distinguish 
the  three  strata  to  be  discerned  in  the  gradual  growth 
of  the  book. 


•8  See  A  Gentle  Cynic,  pp.  52  seq.,  for  the  details  of  this  "traditional 
authorship"  which  ascribed  the  Pentateuch  to  Moses,  the  Books  of  Joshua  and 
Samuel  to  the  individuals  whose  names  they  bore,  the  Books  of  Kings  and 
Lamentations  to  Jeremiah,  the  prophetical  books  to  those  whose  utterances 
they  contained,  despite  the  fact  that  the  pre-€xilic  prophets  did  not  write  but 
merely  spoke. 

"Talmud  Babli,  Baba  Bathra  is». 

66 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 


II 

THE  ORIGINAL  BOOK  OF  JOB  AND  THE 
SUPPLEMENTS  TO  IT 

The  final  editojs^ofihe.Book  of  Job  have  curiously 
enough  preserved  the  proof  that  the  book  at  one  time 
terminated  with  thejhirty-first  chapter,  where  we 
actually  read: 

"The  words  of  Job  are  ended." 

Now,  to  be  sure,  exegetes  bent  upon  maintaining 
the  assumption  of  unity  in  the  composition  of  the  book, 
explain  these  words  as  referring  to  the  close  of  the 
speeches  of  Job,  but  apart  from  the  fact  that  there 
would  be  no  special  reason  for  mentioning  this.  Job  is 
actually  introduced  again  as  speaking  in  40,  3-4  and  a 
second  time  in  42,  i-6.^°  Taking  the  words  as  they 
stand,  they  are  clearly  as  definite  as  our  "finis, "  which 
we  place  at  the  end  of  a  composition.  The  "Words 
of  Job  "  would  constitute  an  appropriate  title  for  the 
book,  corresponding  to  the  heading  "  The  Words  of 
Koheleth  "  as  the  title  of  Ecclesiastes.  Moreover,  the 
editorial  comment  at  the  beginning  of  chapter  32, 

"And  these  three  men  ceased  answering  Job" 

bears  out  the  obvious  interpretation  that  the  book 
closed  at  one  time  with  Job's  insistence  (31,  35-37) 
upon  the  justice  of  his  case  against  God.^^ 


^**0n  these  two  epilogues,  see  above,  p.  6i  seq. 

^  Forming  originally  the  close  of  Job's  answer  to  Bildad's  third  speech. 
See  the  note  to  chapter  25,  i.  Verses  38-40  of  chapter  31  are  misplaced;  they 
belong  after  31,  12.    See  further  in  the  translation  of  this  31st  chapter. 

67 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

"O  that  there  were  some  one  to  hear  me  ! 
Here  is  my  brief — let  Shaddai  refute  me. 
Aye,  I  will  lift  it  on  my  shoulder; 
I  will  wear  it  as  my  crown. 
With  steady  gait,  I  will  confront  him; 
[And]  as  a  prince  approach  Him." 

Could  there  be  a  more  effective  close  than  this  defiant 
speech,  throwing  down  the  challenge  to  God  as  Job's 
final  answer  to  the  arguments  of  his  companions  and  to 
their  endeavor  to  force  him  to  confess  wrongs  that  he 
did  not  commit?  What  more  was  there  to  be  said? 
No  wonder  that  an  editor  added  that  the  three  friends 
had  no  answer  to  make,  and  we  may  go  a  step  further 
and  suggest  that  in  place  of  the  statement  that  the 
three  friends  had  nothing  more  to  say, 

"because  he  was  justified  in  his  eyes" 

the  text  originally  read  "in  their  eyes."^^  This 
would  accord  with  the  entire  tenor  of  the  discussions, 
for  they  reveal  throughout — barring  additions  made 
in  the  interests  of  orthodoxy — ^the  sympathy  of  the 
editor  with  Job. 

But  even  in  this  older  book  we  can  distinguish 
traces  of  a  gradual  growth.  Look  at  chapters  29-31, 
put  as  speeches  into  the  mouth  of  Job,  and,  apart  from 
their  inordinate  length,  they  will  be  seen  to  be  of  a 
totally  different  character  from  any  of  the  preceding 
eight  speeches,  for  in  all  of  these  Job,  after  answering 
the  rebukes  of  his  friends,  complains  of  his  sufferings 
and  brings  forward  the  injustice  and  cruelty  of  the 
fate  meted  out  to  him.    In  all  he  protests  his  innocence 

*^  So  the  Greek  and  Syriac  translations  actually  read,  as  well  as  some 
Hebrew  manuscripts. 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

and  hurls  charges  at  God  in  bold  defiance,  or  in  reply- 
to  the  false  pictures  drawn  by  his  friends  of  the  pun- 
ishment of  the  wicked,  he  argues  that  in  this  world  the 
wicked  are  generally  happy,  while  it  is  the  innocent 
and  virtuous  who  suffer.  In  these  three  chapters, 
however,  Job  does  not  argue  at  all.  He  does  not  re- 
fer to  his  friends  nor  to  their  contentions  or  rebukes, 
and  he  merely  refers  to  his  present  condition  ^^  by  way 
of  contrast  to  his  former  state.  In  all  of  the  previous 
speeches  ibe  position^gfjob  before  misfortunes  over- 
whelmod-him, IS  assumed  on  the  basis^TtEeTolktale. 
Not  only  his  happiness  but  his  superior  wealth  and 
rank  ^^  greater  .than,  any,  of  the  sons  of  the  East"  (i, 
3)  is  part  and^arcel  of  the  story.  What  need,  there- 
fore, for  Job  to  dwell  as  he  does  in  those  chapters 
upon  the  distinction  that  he  once  enjoyed,  how  all 
honored  and  stood  in  awe  of  him,  how  when  he  spoke 
the  nobles  remained  silent,  how  the  poor,  the  orphan 
and  the  widow  blessed  him? 

The  three  chapters  are  entirely  out  of  harmony 
with  the  other  speeches,  and  to  clinch  the  argument 
that  they  are  supplemental  to  the  book  in  its  older 
form,  we  have  an  entirely  different  kind  of  heading: 
"And  Job  again  took  up  his  speech"  ^ 

instead  of  the  conventional: 

"And  Job  in  answer  said*' 

which  marks  the  speeches  from  chapters  3  to  26. 
Chapters  29-3 1  represent,  as  a  matter  of  fact  two  sup- 

*^  30,  26-31.  The  other  section  (30,  16-24)  in  which  he  gives  voice  to 
his  sufferings,  is  in  the  style  of  the  eariier  speeches  and  belongs  after  27,  6.  See 
below  in  the  notes  to  the  rearrangement  of  chapters  25-31. 

**  29,  I.  Repeated  from  here  at  27,  i  where  it  is  not  in  place.  See  on  the 
word  used  for  "speech"  the  note  to  the  passage  in  the  translation. 

69 


<rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

plemental  speeches  of  Job,  added  by  someone  or  by 
various  writers,  who  wished  to  try  their  hand  in  put- 
ting speeches  of  a  different  character  into  the  mouth 
of  Job. 

A  further  proof  that  chapters  29-31  are  supple- 
mentary is  to  be  found  in  the  circumstance  that  they 
follow  upon  chapter  28,  which  is  clearly  an  addition 
to  the  original  book,  since  its  contents  have  no  connect- 
ion whatsoever  with  the  theme  of  the  Symposium. 
The  chapter  is  indeed  one  of  the  most  impressive  bits 
of  literature  in  the  entire  Old  Testament  collection, 
but  it  is  an  entirely  independent  composition  setting 
forth  man's  vain  search  for  wisdom.  Some  editor  came 
across  it  and  fortunately  preserved  it  for  us  by  at- 
taching it  to  the  original  Book  of  Job.  Its  purpose 
is  to  show  that  wisdom  is  with  God  and  not  accessible 
to  n^n. 

Ill 

THE  THIRD  SERIES  OF  SPEECHES  OF  JOB  AND 
HIS  FRIENDS 

We  thus  have  four  chapters  which  are  supple- 
mental to  the  original  book,  but  even  with  these 
lopped  off  we  have  not  reached  the  original  core. 
Chapters  3  to  21  contain  two  series  of  speeches  (a) 
chapters  3-14  and  (b)  chapters  15-21.  In  each  series 
we  have  the  three  friends  replying  to  Job,  who  in  turn 
replies  to  each  of  his  friends;  and  since  Job  inaugurates 
the  Symposium,  we  have  seven  speeches  by  the  great 
sufferer  and  two  each  by  the  three  friends — thirteen 
in  all.  The  third  series  begins  with  chapter  22.  Ac- 
cording to  the  present  arrangement,  there  is  a  speech 

70 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

of  Eliphaz  chapter  22,  an  answer  by  Job  chapters 
23-24,  a  short  speech  by  Bildad  chapter  25,  and  a  sup- 
posed reply  by  Job  extending  over  two  chapters  26-27. 
Zophar's  third  speech  and  Job's  reply  are  missing. 
Apparently,  then,  the  third  series  is  incomplete.  But 
a  closer  examination  ^^  reveals  that  we  actually  have 
a  portion  of  Bildad's  third  speech  (namely,  26,  5-14) 
and  Zophar's  third  speech  (27,  7-23  and  30,  2-8)  put 
into  the  mouth  of  Job,  This  rearrangement  was  made 
by  later  editors  with  the  intention  of  assigning  to  Job 
orthodox  sentiments  such  as  would  naturally  emanate 
from  Bildad  and  Zophar. 

It  was  hoped  that  in  this  way  the  unfavorable  im- 
pression made  by  Job's  earlier  speeches,  so  objection- 
able from  the  orthodox  point  of  view,  might  be  re- 
moved. Accepting  the  proper  arrangement  of  chap- 
ters 25-27,  the  third  series  becomes  almost  compete, 
for  all  that  is  now  lacking  is  Job's  reply  to  Zophar. 
Perhaps  there  was  no  reply,  or  it  was*  suppressed  and 
its  place  taken  by  the  supplementary  chapters  29-31, 
added  by  those  who  were  bent  on  having  Job  bring  his 
discourses  to  a  conclusion  by  a  more  conciliatory  tone 
than  could  have  been  the  case  in  his  reply  to  Zophar. 

The  book  in  its  older  form  thus  consists  of  the 
prologue  and  the  two  series  of  speeches  to  which  sub- 
sequently was  added  (i)  a  third  series  of  speeches — 
these  27  chapters  forming  the  original  Book  of  Job 
(2)  an  entirely  independent  chapter  on  the  search  for 
wisdom  (chapter  28)  and  (3)  the  supplemental 
speeches  of  Job  (chapters  29-31)  which  would  complete 

**See  further  below  and  in  the  notes  to  the  translation  of  chapters 
25-31. 

71 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

the  third  series,  though  in  a  spirit  entirely  out  of  keep- 
ing with  chapters  3-27. 

The  question  will  naturally  be  raised  whether  we 
should  not  go  further  and  reduce  the  first  draft  of  the 
Book  of  Job  to  the  prologue  and  to  a  single  series  of 
speeches  of  which  the  second  series  would  be  an 
imitation  and  amplification  produced  at  a  subsequent 
date.  The  question  is  not  irrelevant,  for  in  fact  all 
the  arguments  of  the  friends  and  the  counter  argu- 
ments of  Job  are  presented  in  the  first  series  comprising 
chapters  3-14.  Contrary  to  the  still  current  view 
there  is  no  progressive  development  of  the  theme  of  the 
Symposium;  there  are  merely  variations  on  a  few  melo- 
dies. The  literary  superiority  of  the  book  lies,  next  to 
Jts  superb  style  and  its  splendid  poetry,  precisely  in 
the  skillful  manner  in  which  these  variations  are 
handled.  The  arguments  are  in  reality  few  in  number. 
They  may  be  reduced  to  four  on  the  part  of  the 
three  friends. 

(i)  That  God  is  just,  (2)  that  Job  must  have 
committed  some  wrong,  (3)  that  when  suffering  comes, 
one  must  throw  one's  self  upon  the  mercy  of  God,  (4) 
that  the  wicked  may  flourish  for  a  while,  but  always 
in  the  end  meet  their  doom.  Job  has  only  four  counter 
arguments  to  bring  forward:  (i)  that,  as  the  popular 
story  shows,  he  was  not  wicked  but  on  the  contrary 
supremely  virtuous  and  pious,  (2)  that  God  is  arbi- 
trary, (3)  that  one  cannot  bring  one's  case  before 
God  without  thereby  already  impugning  Divine 
justice,  (4)  that  the  wicked  are  not  punished. 

These  few  arguments  are  all  introduced  in  the 
first  series,  and  the  one  or  the  other  of  them  is  elabo- 

72 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

rated  in  the  six  speeches  of  the  second  series.  So, 
for  example,  Eiiphaz  in  his  second  speech  (15,  7-16) 
enlarges  upon  the  impossibility  of  penetrating  to  the 
essence  of  things,  which  Bildad  (11,  7-9)  had  already 
ernphasized.  The  second  speech  of  Eiiphaz  even 
contains  a  quotation  from  the  first.**  Bildad  in  his 
second  speech  (chapter  18)  sets  forth  at  length  the  pun- 
ishment in  store  fgr  the  wicked  which  was  already  sug- 
gested more  briefly  in  his  first  speech  (chapter  8,  1 1- 
20),  as  well  as  by  Zophar  (11,  20).  Job  brings  for- 
ward his  strongest  argument  that  one  cannot  carry 
one's  case  before  God  in  the  speech  replying  to  Bildad 
(chapters  9-10),  and  he  repeats  it  in  the  speeches  of 
the  second  series  {e.  g.,  16,  20-21  and  19,6-11).  In  his 
reply  to  Bildad  (9,  20-24)  ^^  suggests  that  God  is 
callous  to  merit,  that  the  innocent  and  wicked  are 
treated  alike,  aye,  that 

"The  earth  is  given  into  the  hand  of  the  wicked." 

It  is,  therefore,  merely  an  elaboration  of  the  thought, 
when  in  a  speech  in  the  second  series  (chapter  21)  he 
launches  into  a  most  detailed  picture  of  this  topsy- 
turvy world  in  which  the  wicked  grow  fat,  are  not 
troubled  with  remorse  and  escape  even  when  a  general 
calamity  ensues. 

For  all  that,  we  have  no  decisive  data  to  warrant  us 
in  saying  that  a  Book  of  Job  once  existed  with  only  one 
series  of  speeches.  A  group  of  writers  might  easily  be 
led  to  indulge  in  variations  upon  a  single  theme;  and 
the  circumstance  that  the  second  series  is  entirely  in 
the  style  of  the  first  is  another  reason  for  assuming  that 

,"Cf.  IS,  14-IS  with  4,  17-18. 

73 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

the  elaboration  and  even  the  repetition  of  the  argu- 
ments and  counter  arguments  were  part  of  the  Book  of 
Job  in  its  earHest  form.  There  is  just  enough  inde- 
pendence in  the  manner  of  treating  the  theme  and  of 
presenting  the  arguments  to  warrant  us  in  asserting 
that,  despite  the  general  similarity  of  the  speeches  to 
one  another,  the  second  series  forms  an  integral  part 
of  the  oldest  written  draft  so  far  as  we  can  trace 
it;  far  more  so  than  is  the  case  in  the  third  series  of 
speeches  which  betrays  in  various  ways  its  supple- 
mental character,  though  not  to  the  extent  of  modi- 
fying the  thesis  that  chapters  3-27  form  a  harmonious 
whole  and  represent  the  original  Symposium  in  its 
completed  form. 

IV 

THE  TWO  APPENDICES  TO  THE   ORIGINAL    BOOK 

OF  JOB 

Now,  how  can  we  be  so  certain  that  the  first 
twenty-seven  chapters  of  the  book  with  the 
prose  epilogue  42,  7-9  form  an  original  Book 
of  Job?  Look  at  the  second  division  of  the 
book  in  its  present  form,  which  consists  of  chap- 
ters 32-37,  containing  the  speeches  of  Elihu. 
We  are  transported  at  once  to  an  entirely  different 
scene,  with  a  different  environment  and  a  different 
atmosphere.  The  Symposium  is  at  an  end,  as  the  in- 
troduction to  the  speeches  of  Elihu  specifically  tells 
us.  The  thrt;;  friends  had  nothing  more  to  say.  A 
new  character  appears  on  the  scene  who,  in  contrast  to 
Job  and  his  three  friends,  bears  a  Hebrew  name.  His 
father's  name  Barachel  is  also  Hebraic,  and  he  is  rep- 

74 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

resented  as  a  descendant  of  one  of  the  Hebrew  clans.^'^ 
The  four  separate  discourses  into  which  the  six 
chapters  may  be  divided  are  of  an  entirely  different 
character  from  the  speeches  in  the  Symposium.  EHhu 
approaches  the  problem  from  a  different  angle,  though 
one  can  also  see  some  borrowings  from  the  Symposium 
proper,  ^^  due  perhaps  to  later  editors  who  wished  to 
connect  these  chapters  with  the  original  book.  The 
two  arguments  urged  by  Elihu  are  (a)  that  God  warns 
man  of  his  fate  by  dreams  and  visions  and  also  by 
chastisement  and  that  (b)  whether  one  is  wicked  or 
righteous,  one  neither  takes  anything  from  God  nor 
gives  anything  to  him.  Clearly,  the  purpose  of  these 
six  chapters  is  to  complement  the  Symposium,  by 
suggesting  other  points  of  view  from  which  the 
problem  might  be  attacked. 

The  language  also  in  these  supplementary  chap- 
ters is  different,  though  this  point  must  not  be  stressed, 
because  there  was  a  conscious  imitation  on  the  part  of 
later  amplifiers  of  the  book  of  the  style  adopted  in  the 
earlier  sections.  Here  again  the  absence  of  dis- 
tinctly individual  authorship  favors  the  rise  of  a  large 
number  of  amplifiers  of  a  book,  interested  in  the  prob- 
lem and  expressing  schools  of  thought  rather  than 
individual  points  of  view,  men  who  by  deliberate 
imitation  could  write  much  in  the  same  style  as  their 
predecessors.     Such  a  collection  as  the  Psalms,  the 


*'  He  is  called  "the  Buzite  of  the  family  of  Ram."  The  prophet  Ezekiel's 
father  bears  the  name  of  Buzi  (Ez.  1,3),  and  Ram  is  the  name  of  a  Judean  clan 
(Ruth  4,  19). 

^e.g.y  34,  3  is  taken  from  12,  11;  35,  5  from  22,  12  and  harks  back  also 
to  7,  20.  Besides,  in  33,  9-10;  34,  5-6  and  35,  2-3  he  quotes  utterances  of  Job 
in  the  original  book. 

7S 


tHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

work  of  many  hands  and  yet  in  which  so  many 
Psalms  bear  a  close  resemblance  to  one  another, 
furnishes  an  illustration  of  how  much  great  literature 
can  be  steadily  produced  by  this  process  of  imitation 
on  the  part  of  those  who  belong  to  the  same  school 
of  religious  thought,  and  who  live  in  the  same  con- 
genial atmosphere.  The  same  applies  to  the  Prov- 
erbs, showing  an  apparent  unity  through  the  influence 
of  the  factor  of  collective  and  imitative  author- 
ship. The  restraint  upon  imitation  in  our  days  of 
literary  production,  marked  by  the  intense  desire  to 
express  one's  own  personality,  acts  as  a  deterrent  in 
producing  literature  of  a  certain  even  grade. 

The  speeches  of  Elihu  are  followed  by  a  second 
appendix,  consisting  of  chapters  38  to  41  and  pur- 
porting to  be  speeches  addressed  by  Yahweh  to  Job.  In 
reality  these  four  chapters  constitute  a  series  of  nature 
poems  intended  to  illustrate  the  manifestations  of  the 
Divine  will  in  the  creation  of  the  world,  in  the  move- 
ments in  the  heavens,  and  in  the  phenomena  of  the 
rain  and  snow.  From  such  subjects  the  little  anthol- 
ogy passes  on  to  a  description  of  animal  Hfe,  il- 
lustrative again  of  God's  forethought  in  providing  for 
his  creation,  while  the  powerful  beasts  introduced  in 
the  poems,  such  as  the  hippopotamus  and  the  croco- 
dile, suggest  by  contrast  man's  insignificant  stature 
and  his  physical  weakness.  The  problem  that  forms 
the  central  theme  in  the  original  Book  of  Job  is  not 
touched  upon;  and  if  it  were  not  for  the  attachment 
of  this  magnificent  series  of  poems  to  the  Book  of  Job, 
no  reader  would  for  a  moment  have  associated  the 
poems  with  the  theme  suggested  by  Job's  experience. 

76 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

Moreover,  in  the  case  of  these  four  chapters  the  cri- 
terion of  language  can  be  used  with  even  greater 
assurance  than  in  the  case  of  the  speeches  of  Eiihu  to 
reinforce  the  view  of  the  independent  origin  of  this 
collection  of  nature  poems.  The  style  deviates  en- 
tirely from  that  of  the  Symposium.  Chapters  38  to 
41,  therefore,  constitute  the  third  stratum  of  the 
book.  The  present  Book  of  Job  is  therefore  not  only 
a  composite  production  but  one  of  gradual  growth; 
and  this  gradual  growth  is  to  be  further  discerned 
within  each  division.  We  have  seen  that  the  original 
Book  of  Job  is  not  of  one  piece,  and  we  must  now 
test  the  thesis  for  the  discourses  of  Elihu  and  for  the 
anthology  of  nature  poems. 


THE   COMPOSITE    CHARACTER  OF  THE    SPEECHES 

OF  ELIHU 

The  four  speeches  of  Elihu  represent  the  en- 
deavors of  orthodox  circles  to  find  a  satisfactory  solu- 
tion for  the  problem  which  in  the  Symposium  the 
friends  gave  up  as  hopeless,  with  a  confession  that 
"Job  was  justified  in  their  eyes. "  *^  A  glance  at  their 
arrangement  (chapters  32-37)  shows  their  composite 
character.  Chapter  32  is  taken  up  entirely  with  a 
series  of  introductions,  and  it  is  not  until  chapter  33 
that  we  reach  the  first  speech.  We  first  have  five  edi- 
torial introductory  notes  (32,  1-5)  then  another 
introduction  with  a  separate  heading  (32,  6-10), 
followed  by  a  second  introduction  (32,  11-17)  which 

*•  See  above,  p.  68. 

77 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

repeats  the  substance  of  the  preceding  one,  after  which 
a  third  introduction — in  an  ironical  vein  (32,  18-22) — 
is  added  which  brings  us  to  the  close  of  the  chapter. 
Evidently  some  one  has  put  together  a  series  of  drafts 
of  introductions  which  he  came  across,  and  true  to  the 
Oriental  mode  of  literary  composition,  attached  them 
as  the  preliminary  material  to  the  speeches  themselves. 
Now  the  existence  of  a  series  of  drafts  of  intro- 
ductions^ of  Itself  points  to  various  independent 
speeches,  just  as  the  presence  of  four  epilogues  to  the 
book  furnishes  testimony  to  the  composite  character  of 
the  book  to  which  they  are  attached.  This  supposition 
is  confirmed  when  we  come  to  the  speeches  them- 
selves. We  note  in  the  first  place  that  the  first  and 
third  speeches  (chapters  33  and  35)  are  addressed  to 
Job,  whereas  the  second  speech  (chapter  34)  is  ad- 
dressed to  "wise  men"  in  general  with  Job  referred 
to  in  the  third  person  (34,  5,  7;  35,  36),  and  the  fourth 
speech  is  clearly  supplemental,  for  as  indicated  by  the 
introduction  (36,  2)  it  is  not  addressed  to  any  one  in 
particular.  It  is  the  work  of  some  one  who  felt,  as  he 
said,  that  "there  were  still  things  to  be  said  for  God" 
and  proceeds  to  set  forth  his  defense  of  the  orthodox 
doctrine  as  to  the  cause  and  meaning  of  human  suffer- 
ing. The  writer  of  this  speech  is  not  as  original  in  his 
thought  as  he  perhaps  fancied,  for  he  takes  up  the 
argument  of  the  first  speech  which  emphasizes  suf- 
fering as  a  warning  to  man  against  slipping  into  a  wrong 
path,  but  gives  the  thought  a  new  turn  by  laying  the 


"We  have  still  another  draft  of  an  introduction  (33,  31-33)  which  an 
editor  Inserted  at  the  end  of  the  first  speech,  or  which  he  intended  as  an  alternate 
introduction  to  the  second  speech. 

78 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

stress  on  suffering  as  a  discipline  (36,  10)  as  well  as  a 
warning.  In  this  chapter,  moreover,  we  have  as  a 
further  proof  of  both  its  supplemental  and  composite 
character,  the  insertion  of  a  separate  and  most  im- 
pressive little  poem,  descriptive  of  God's  majesty  as 
seen  in  a  storm.  ^^  One  must  read  this  splendid 
description  in  full  and  separate  it  from  its  present 
environment  to  appreciate  its  beauty.  The  purpose 
of  this  poem,  which  takes  us  still  further  away  from 
the  theme  of  the  book,  is  to  pave  the  way  for  the 
second  large  appendix — ^the  nature  and  animal  poems 
forming  the  third  stratum  of  the  book.  The  inser- 
tion thus  appears  to  have  been  made  by  some  one  who 
already  had  this  second  appendix  (chapters  38-41)  be- 
fore him  and  who,  finding  the  poem,  dovetailed  it  into 
a  supplemental  speech,  put  into  the  mouth  of  Elihu. 
We  have  a  similar  case  of  the  dovetailing  of  an 
independent  composition  into  a  speech  of  Elihu  in  the 
34th  chapter — forming  the  second  speech  of  Elihu. 
This  speech,  as  already  suggested,  steps  entirely  out 
of  the  frame  of  the  others  by  being  addressed  to  "wise 
men"  and  not  to  Job,  who  is  spoken  of  in  the  third 
person.  Surely  if  all  four  speeches  were  written  by 
one  and  the  same  individual,  there  would  be  no  reason 
for  such  a  strange  and  unnecessary  deviation.  In  the 
middle  of  the  34th  chapter  (v.  16)  we  suddenly  en- 
counter a  new  heading  and  strangely  enough  with  an 
abrupt  change  from  an  address  in  the  plural  to  one  in 
the  singular, 

"If  there  be  understanding,  hear  this." 

'1  36,  24  to  37,  13  and  verses  21-22  as  the  close  of  the  poem.    See  the 
translation  of  the  poem  after  chapter  36. 

79 


tHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

An  entirely  new  subject  is  introduced.  Up  to  this 
point  the  writer  is  concerned  with  repeating  the  ar- 
gument, so  familiar  to  us  from  the  Symposium,  that 
God  is  not  wicked,  that  it  is  "far  from  Shaddai  to 
commit  iniquity"  (v.  lo),  that  He  requites  man  ac- 
cording to  his  deeds,  with  the  supplementary  thought 
that  man  is  dependent  upon  the  favor  of  God,  as  the 
whole  earth  is  in  His  sole  charge.  Without  any  pre- 
monition, a  totally  different  theme  is  now  taken  up — 
the  punishment  of  unworthy  rulers.  This  poem,  which 
is  clearly  again  an  independent  composition,  is  inserted 
into  the  chapter  ^^  because  some  editor  thought  it 
appropriate  to  the  general  theme.  As  a  matter  of 
fact  its  departure  from  the  central  theme  is  so  complete 
as  to  be  a  disturbing  factor,  though  we  should  be 
grateful  to  the  one  who  thought  of  preserving  the  little 
poem,  which  is  also  valuable  as  an  illustration  of  how 
far  those  were  willing  to  go  who  placed  the  attribute 
of  absolute  and  impartial  justice  as  the  primary 
quality  of  Divine  government.  God  is  no  respecter 
of  persons. 

"He  says  to  a  King,  *Thou  worthless  one,* 
*Thou  wicked  one'  to  nobles. 

He  pays  no  regard  to  princes, 

And  favors  not  rich  against  poor. 

For  all  in  a  moment  die; 

In  the  middle  of  the  night  are  shaken  off." 

(34,  18-20.) 

But  all  this  has  no  bearing  on  the  central  theme, 
except  as  a  further  rebuke  to  Job  who  questions  the 
justice  of  God.    This  method  of  dovetailing  two  com- 

^  Verses  16-20  and  24-27  with  v.  30  as  a  summary.  See  the  translation 
of  this  inserted  poem  after  the  fourth  speech  of  Elihu. 

80 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

positions  into  one  another  seems  strange  and  irrele- 
vant,, but  one  must  bear  in  mind  that  it  is  the  com- 
mon procedure  in  Biblical  books.  It  is  the  regular 
method  followed  by  the  compilers  of  the  Pentateuch, 
who  when  they  find  two  versions  of  a  story — as  of  the 
Deluge  and  of  many  incidents  in  the  lives  of  the  pa- 
triarchs— combine  them,  even  at  the  risk  of  thus  put- 
ting contradictory  details  together.  Similarly  in  the 
historical  books  proper — ^Joshua,  Judges,  Samuel  and 
Kings — various  originally  independent  compositions 
are  dovetailed  into  one  another.  The  editor  or  com- 
piler who  inserted  the  two  poems  in  chapters  34  and 
36,  therefore,  follows  the  traditional  method  to  fit  in 
the  independent  compositions  as  best  he  could  by 
distributing  the  single  verses  in  sections  through  the 
chapter,  so  as  to  give  at  least  a  semblance  of  unity  to 
each  of  the  speeches. 

Again,  chapter  35  consisting  of  only  sixteen 
verses,  is  clearly  a  draft  of  some  speech  which  attempts 
to  answer  the  assertions  of  Job  in  9,  21  and  7,  20.  The 
former  passage  is  quoted  almost  verbatim  in  35,  2; 
the  latter  in  35,  3.  The  writer  taking  up  Job's  com- 
plaint that  even  if  he  had  sinned,  he  has  not  injured 
God, 

"What  have  I  done  to  Thee,  guardian  of  man? 
Why  hast  Thou  made  me  a  mark?"    (7,  20.) 

argues  that  in  truth  when  men  do  wrong,  they  do  not 
injure  God,  as  little  as  when  they  5re  virtuous  they 
benefit  God. 

The  conclusion  that  our  writer  draws  is  that 
since  righteousness  or  wrongdoing  affects  only  mortals, 
God  should  not  be  held  responsible  for  sufferings 

6  81 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

which  are  due  to  the  actions  of  man.  The  point 
urged  in  the  third  speech  evades  the  problem 
by  relieving  God  of  responsibiHty  for  wickedness 
in  His  world.  The  one  who  wrote  the  first  speech 
could  never  have  thought  of  introducing  an  argument 
so  little  in  keeping  with  his  entire  attitude  towards 
the  problem.  We  see,  therefore,  that  the  four  speeches 
are  separate  compositions,  each  representing  an  en- 
deavor to  find  a  solution  that  might  save  the  day 
for  orthodoxy. 

VI 

A  COLLECTION  OF  NATURE  POEMS  AS  THE  THIRD 

STRATUM 

Is  it  possible  to  establish  for  chapters  38-41 — 
the  speeches  put  into  the  mouth  of  Yahweh — ^the  the- 
sis which  we  have  seen  to  apply  to  the  four  speeches 
of  Elihu,  to  wit,  that  they  consist  of  a  series 
of  independent  compositions,  representing  various 
attempts  to  describe  the  manifestation  of  the  Divine 
in  the  universe,  which  is  the  theme  throughout  .»*  To 
this  question  an  affirmative  answer  can  be  given  with 
an  assurance  derived  from  the  repetitions  to  be 
found  within  these  chapters  and  from  the  abrupt 
transitions  from  one  theme  to  the  other.  We  have 
in  the  first  place  two  large  divisions,  (i)  chapters  38 
and  39  with  its  separate  conclusion,  40,  i-J  and  (2) 
chapter  40,  6  to  the  end  of  chapter  41  with  its  con- 
clusion 42,  1-6.  That  the  second  division  is  supple- 
mentary to  the  first  and  presumably  by  a  dififerent 
author  follows  from  the  repetition  of  the  challenge 
to  Job: 

82 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

"Gird  up  thy  loins  like  a  warrior, 
That  I  may  ask  thee  to  tell  me."     (38,  3.) 

which  IS  found  again  with  a  slightly  different  wording 
at  the  beginning  of  the  second  speech  40,  7.  The  sepa- 
rate editorial  headings  (38,  i  and  40,  6)  to  each  of 
the  two  divisions, 

"Then  Yahweh  answered  Job  as  follows" 

with  the  words  "out  of  the  storm"  added  because  of 
the  description  of  the  storm  in  chapter  37  ^^  are,  there- 
fore, justified.  Within  the  first  division  we  have  (i) 
The  Paean  of  Creation  (38, 4-18),  (2)  The  Phenomena 
of  the  Heavens  (38,  19-38),  after  which  there  is  an  ab- 
rupt transition  to  a  different  theme — ^the  manifesta- 
tion of  Divine  power  in  the  animal  world,  which  is 
viewed  from  two  angles,  (a)  the  strength  shown  by- 
certain  animals  which  makes  them  superior  to  any 
attempt  on  the  part  of  man  to  tame  them  and  (b)  the 
provision  made  for  animals  by  God,  and  which  like- 
wise lies  beyond  human  comprehension. 

Now  it  would,  of  course,  be  carrying  the  analysis 
too  far  to  divide  up  the  two  broad  divisions  into  which 
the  four  chapters  fall  into  as  many  subdivisions  as  the 
subjects  of  the  poems.  While  it  may  well  be  that  the 
animal  poems,  treating  eleven  different  animals  (38, 
39 — 39?  30) ,  are  not  by  one  writer,  yet  they  are  all  of  the 
same  general  character  with  the  single  exception  of  the 
poem  on  the  ostrich  and  stork  (39,  13-18)  which  is  not 
in  question  form  as  are  the  others,  and  in  other  respects 
deviates  from  the  style  of  the  other  animal  poems. 
This  little  section  does  not  emphasize  God's  provi- 

•"  See  above,  p.  79. 

83 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

dence  as  do  the  poems  on  the  lion,  raven,  mountain 
goat,  wild  ox  and  horse,  but  on  the  contrary  stresses 
the  cruel  and  senseless  habits  of  the  ostrich  and  stork 
in  deserting  her  young,  because  "God  has  deprived  her 
of  wisdom. "  On  the  other  hand,  the  description  of 
the  hippopotamus  (40,  15-24)  is  clearly  of  a  totally 
different  character  than  the  other  animal  poems,  and 
so  is  likewise  the  very  detailed  description  of  the 
crocodile  (40,  25-41,  26).  ^^  Both  poems  are  to  be  re- 
garded as  further  endeavors  on  the  part  of  writers  to 
illustrate  the  general  theme  of  God's  power  as  seen  in 
the  animal  world.  In  these  poems  on  the  hippopota- 
mus and  the  crocodile  it  is  the  huge  size  and  strength 
that  is  emphasized.  The  circumstance  that  the 
description  of  these  two  largest  and  most  powerful  of 
all  huge  beasts  are  put  forward  as  a  second  speech  in 
the  mouth  of  Yahweh  is  a  further  proof  of  their  supple- 
mentary character.  A  compiler  in  the  ancient  Oriental 
manner  would  have  no  hesitation  in  thus  putting 
together  a  series  of  poems,  each  of  independent  origin, 
though  all  presumably  emanating  from  some  common 
circle  of  writers  who  strove  to  emulate  one  another  in 
describing  the  glories  and  marvels  of  inanimate  nature 
and  of  the  animal  world.  The  description  of  the 
hippopotamus,  consisting  of  ten  verses,  is  a  single 
composition,  but  the  much  longer  poem  on  the 
crocodile  consisting  of  34  verses  is  just  as  clearly  a 
combination  of  three  separate  compositions.^^     Of 

^Or  according  to  the  enumeration  in  the  AV  and  RV  (following  the 
example  of  the  Greek  text  which  begins  chapter  41  with  the  description  of  the 
crocodile)  41,  1-34. 

^5  The  first  extending  from  40,  25  to  41,  4  (or  41,  1-12  according  to  the 
enumeration  in  the  AV  and  RV),  the  second  from  41,  5-13  (or  41,  13-21)  and 
the  third  from  41,  14-26  (or  41,  22-34). 

84 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

these  three  poems,  the  second  is  sharply  separated 
from  the  first  by  the  reflection  (41,  1-4  or  41,  9-12) 
added  as  a  summary  to  the  description  of  the  over- 
whelming strength  of  the  crocodile,  while  we  are 
justified  in  making  a  second  break  at  41,  13,  (or  41, 
2i)because  in  what  follows  we  have  in  part  a  repeti- 
tion of  what  has  already  been  said  in  the  two  pre- 
ceding poems.  ^^ 

What  we  have,  therefore,  in  this  second  appendix 
is  an  anthology  of  nature  and  animal  poems,  which 
may  well  represent  a  selection  from  an  extensive  lit- 
erature of  this  character  that  was  produced  in  Pal- 
estine during  the  three  or  four  centuries  before  this 
era.  I  say  a  selection,  for  there  is  no  reason  to  sup- 
pose that  our  editor,  who  attached  chapters  38  to  41  to 
the  Book  of  Job  exhausted  the  material  of  this  char- 
acter at  his  disposal.  There  are  sections  within  many 
of  the  Psalms  that  impress  one  as  extracts  from  just 
such  poems  of  which  we  have  specimens  in  our  third 
stratum.  Some  of  these  nature  poems  embodied  in 
the  Psalms,  like  18,  8-16;  29,  3-9;  77,  17-20  are  mar- 
vellous descriptions  of  storms  or  of  violent  upheavals, 
based  on  the  earlier  conception  of  Yahweh  as  a  storm- 
god,  and  are  probably  older  than  any  of  the  nature 
poems  in  Job  as  well  as  cruder  in  their  symbolism. 
Others  like  Psalms  19,  2-7  and  93,  3-4,  attached  to  a 
glorification  of  the  law,  breathe  the  same  spirit  as  the 
chapters  in  Job.  In  some,  like  8,  4-9;  65,  10-14  and 
97,  2-6  there  is  the  same  delicate  association  of  na- 
ture's way  with  God's  forethought  as  in  our    little 

'•41,  15-16  express  the  same  thought  as  41,  7-9;  41,  18-21  suggest  40, 
31;  and  41,  22-23  recall  41,  10-12. 

8S 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

anthology,  while  such  a  Psalm  as  the  104th,  em- 
bracing the  various  aspects  of  creation  and  of  God's 
witnesses  to  the  Divine  in  phenomena  on  earth  and  in 
the  heavens,  and  in  the  waters,  might  just  as  well  have 
been  attached  to  the  Book  of  Job  as  to  have  been 
placed  among  the  Psalms.  Conversely,  except  for  the 
fact  that  they  are  put  into  the  mouth  of  Yahweh  by 
editors  who  in  this  way  connected  them  with  the 
Book  of  Job,  we  might  just  as  well  call  these  four 

chapters  Psalms. 

VII 

THE  MESSAGE  OF  THE  NATURE  POEMS 

These  additional  four  chapters  are  even  more  ex- 
traneous to  the  theme  of  the  original  Book  of  Job 
than  are  the  discourses  of  Elihu.  To  the  obvious 
question,  what  have  these  magnificent  poems  to  do 
with  Job's  complaints  and  his  arguments  to  show  that 
there  is  injustice  and  innocent  sufi'ering  in  the  world, 
the  only  reasonable  answer  is — nothing  at  all. 
Couched  in  question  form,  they  ask  whether  man  can 
perform  the  marvels  of  Nature  which  bear  the  stamp 
of  Divine  power?  It  is  only  in  the  editorial  intro- 
duction (38,  1-3  which  is  repeated  40,  6-y)  "  and  in 
the  two  epilogues  that  Job  is  introduced.  There  is  no 
reference  to  him  or  to  his  sufferings  or  to  his  argu- 
ments in  any  of  these  poems.  The  questions  are  just 
as  effective  if  we  assume  them  to  have  been  addressed 
to  man  in  general. 

"The  second  verse  of  chapter  38: 

"Who  is  he  that  darkens  counsel 

By  words  without  knowledge" 

has  accidentally  been  inserted  as  a  reflection  in  the  wrong  place,  42,  3a.    It 

should  have  been  placed  after  40,  6.     See  note  65  in  the  translation  of  the 

second  epilogue. 

86 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

The  purpose  in  adding  this  precious  anthology  to 
the  Symposium  was  clearly  to  direct  the  attention  of 
the  reader  to  the  majesty  and  power  of  the  universal 
Creator,  so  as  further  to  counteract  the  baneful  im- 
plications of  the  Symposium  itself.  The  nature  poems 
were  intended  to  preach  the  lesson  of  a  becoming 
humility  in  the  face  of  the  overpowering  achievements 
of  the  Almighty,  but  it  is  inconceivable  that  the  same 
group  of  writers  who,  sympathizing  with  Job,  declare 
that  in  his  vehement  denunciations  of  the  cruelty  of 
his  fate  and  in  his  serious  indictments  against  the 
arbitrariness  of  the  Divine  will.  Job  spoke  what  was  , 
"proper"  (42,  7),  could  also  represent  Job  as  con- 
fessing his  audacity  in  uttering  that  which  he  did  not 
"understand"  (42,  3^).  To  accuse  a  writer  of  thus 
blowing  hot  and  cold  at  the  same  time  is  to  deprive 
him  of  all  claim  to  serious  consideration.  One  need 
only  state  the  proposition  thus  baldly  to  clinch  the 
conclusion  that  the  nature  poems  represent  a  later 
amplification  of  the  book  conceived  in  a  totally  dif- 
ferent spirit  from  that  which  pervades  the  Symposium. 

Job  had  repeatedly  complained  that  he  was  un- 
able to  appeal  directly  to  God,  that  the  mere  thought 
of  bringing  his  case  before  God  would  be  regarded  as 
involving  an  impious  charge  against  God.  Very 
well,  say  those  who  collected  these  nature  poems, 
we  will  show  you  what  God  would  say  to  you. 
He  would  silence  you  by  the  demonstration  of  His 
boundless  power  in  contrast  to  your  insignificance; 
He  would  crush  your  haughty  spirit  and  compel 
you  to  bow  humbly  to  His  superior,  aye,  to  His 
infinite  majesty. 

87 


CHAPTER  III 

CHANGES  AND  ADDITIONS  WITHIN  THE 
ORIGINAL  BOOK  OF  JOB 

I 

JEWISH  ORTHODOXY  FERSUS   SKEPTICISM 

The  Book  of  Job  thus  enlarged  by  the  four 
speeches  of  Elihu  and  the  poems  placed  in  the  mouth 
of  the  Deity  Himself  would  naturally  serve  to  counter- 
balance the  skeptical  trend  of  the  original  book.  By 
their  very  length  these  two  appendices  would  pro- 
foundly impress  the  reader,  in  an  uncritical  age, 
which  would  fail  to  separate  the  earlier  from  the  later 
strata.  The  confession  of  Job  at  the  conclusion  of 
each  of  the  two  speeches  of  Yahweh  of  his  unworthi- 
ness,  ^^  setting  forth  his  repentance  for  his  audacious 
utterances  in  the  original  portion  of  the  book  would 
suffice  to  remove  the  impression  made  by  these 
utterances  and  quiet  the  soul  of  the  pious  simple-, 
minded  reader.  For  the  irreconcilable  contrast  be- 
tween the  patient  and  submis&ix£job-ef  the  story  and 
the  impatient  and  rebellious  Job  of  the  Symposium, 
such  a  reader  would  find  the  explanation  ready  at 
hand,  that  under  trying  circumstances  even  such  a 
model  of  piety  as  Job  might  forget  himself  and  be 
prompted  to  sin  by  complaining  of  his  bitter  fate.  He 
could  by  way  of  confirmation  point  to  such  Psalms 

^  At  the  close  of  the  first  series  of  poems,  40,  3-5  and  at  the  close  of  the 
poems  on  the  hippopotamus  and  crocodile  42,  3.  5-6. 

88 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

as  the  22nd,  beginning  with  a  cry  of  anguish  from  a 
distressed  soul, 

"My  God,  My  God,  why  hast  Thou  forsaken  me, 
And  art  far  from  my  help  at  the  words  of  my  cry?" 

or  to  the  88th,  wholly  taken  up  with  complaint,  not 
unlike  the  manner  of  Job, 

"Thou  hast  laid  me  in  the  nethermost  pit; 
In  the  darkest  place  in  the  deep. 
Thy  wrath  presses  hard  upon  me, 
And  all  thy  waves  afflict  me. 
Thou  hast  removed  my  acquaintances  from  me, 
And  hast  made  me  an  abomination  unto  them. 
I  am  shut  in,  I  cannot  come  forth." 

And  since  in  the  Psalms  such  outbursts  are  followed 
or  counterbalanced  by  expressions  of  faith  abiding  in 
the  midst  of  despair: 

"In  Thee  did  our  Fathers  trust; 
They  trusted  and  Thou  didst  deliver  them. 
Unto  Thee  they  cried  and  were  set  free; 
In  Thee  did  they  trust,  and  were  not  put  to  shame."  (22,  5-6.) 

the  analogy  with  the  Book  of  Job  would  be  complete. 
For  all  that  some  doubts  must  have  remained  in 
the  minds  of  more  inquiring  readers,  whether  the 
spirit  of  the  Symposium,  clearly  revealing  the  author's 
sympathy  with  Job's  outbursts  as  well  as  with  his 
arguments,  could  be  reconciled  with  the  tone  of  the 
speeches  of  Elihu  and  with  the  implications  of  the  im- 
pressive nature  poems.  Job's  charges  against  God  in 
permitting  the  innocent  to  suffer  in  this  world  would 
remain  in  all  their  force.  They  were  too  serious  to  be 
dismissed  by  a  mere  glorification  of  the  marvels  of 
Nature.  The  picture  drawn  by  Job  of  the  happiness 
and  security  of  the  wicked  (chapters  21  and  24)  was 


[ 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

too  severe  an  indictment  to  be  set  aside  by  an  irrele- 
vant emphasis  on  the  doctrine  of  punishment  as  a 
test  of  one's  faith  and  as  a  warning  to  return  to  God. 
How  could  Job's  despair  at  being  unable  to  find  God 
despite  his  earnest  search  (9,  11,  and  23,  8-9)  be 
reconciled  with  teachings  that  emphasized  that  "God 
is  near  to  all  who  call  upon  Him"  (Psalm  145,  18). 
Supplements  and  appendices  alone  could  not  save  the 
book  from  being  regarded  as  an  essentially  unsatis- 
factory work.  To  make  the  task  of  converting  an 
unorthodox  production  into  a  bulwark  of  faith,  it  was 
necessary  to  attack  the  original  book  as  well.  By 
additions  here  and  there,  by  pious  comments  inserted 
at  appropriate  places,  by  enlarging  upon  the  counter 
arguments  presented  by  the  three  friends  of  Job,  by 
giving  a  turn  to  some  of  Job's  utterances  different 
from  the  one  that  he  had  in  mind,  and  also  by  the 
more  radical  procedure  of  putting  utterances  into 
Job's  mouth  which  would  have  a  meaning  only  if 
spoken  by  one  of  the  friends,  since  they  directly  con- 
tradict the  fundamental  position  assumed  by  Job — 
such  means  had  to  be  employed  in  order  to  give  a 
flavor  of  orthodoxy  also  to  the  original  book.  This 
flavor,  while  strong  enough  to  satisfy  an  age  not  ac- 
customed to  too  critical  a  scrutiny  and  which  still 
lacked  a  complete  sense  of  personal  authorship  in  a  com- 
position, was  however  not  strong  enough  to  endure  the 
test  of  the  critical  method  in  the  study  of  the  Old  Tes- 
tament that  set  in  at  the  close  of  the  eighteenth 
century  and  that  reached  its  climax  in  our  own  days. 
Before  passing  on  to  some  illustrations  of  the 
additions  and  insertions  in  the  original  book  and  of 

90 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

other  attempts  to  modify  its  tone  and  character,  a 
word  of  warning  is  in  place,  lest  we  misconceive  the 
spirit  in  which  this  deliberate  endeavor  to  save  the 
reader  from  the  skepticism  of  the  book  was  under- 
taken. There  was  on  the  part  of  pious  commentators 
no  intention  to  deceive.  Nothing  was  farther  from  the 
minds  of  those  who  felt  free  to  give  any  turn  that  they 
pleased  to  a  literary  production  that  was  regarded  as 
common  property.  In  the  ancient  Orient  plagiarism 
belongs  to  the  virtues,  and  the  quotation  mark  had 
not  yet  been  discovered.  The  modifications  that  a 
book  underwent  were  an  indication  of  the  interest  it 
had  aroused.  Moreover,  the  character  of  the  revi- 
sion to  which  a  literary  production  in  the  ancient 
Orient  was  subject  would  vary  according  to  the  point 
of  view  of  the  individual  or  the  circle  that  would  be 
attracted  to  the  task.  A  book  like  the  original  Job 
would  have  its  sympathizers  and  its  opponents;  and 
we  can  trace  in  the  insertions  and  in  the  additions  the 
work  of  both  classes  of  commentators  or  amplifiers  as 
they  might  be  called,  while  at  times  one  may  recog- 
nize the  purely  literary  desire  to  try  one's  hand  at 
improving  a  speech  of  Job^s  or  of  one  of  his  friends. 
Again,  in  many  cases  the  desire  to  make  an  utterance 
clearer  leads  to  the  addition  of  an  explanatory  gloss 
or  phrase.  There  were  no  footnotes  in  ancient  codices, 
and  where  the  margin  was  used  for  variants,  com- 
ments, .explanations  and  additions,  the  next  copyist 
who  came  along  might  embody  all  these  modifications 
in  the  text,  leaving  it  to  the  reader,  if  he  felt  so  in- 
clined, to  differentiate  between  the  original  and  the 
supplementary  matter.     The  study  of  an   ancient 

91 


tHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

literary  production  thus  assumes  a  very  complicated 
aspect,  and  it  has  been  one  of  the  chief  tasks  of  mod- 
ern Bible  study  to  develop  a  critical  method  for  dis- 
tinguishing the  various  strata  in  the  case  of  a  Biblical 
book,  to  trace  the  dovetailing  of  originally  indepen- 
dent documents  in  the  compilation  of  traditions  and 
historical  narratives,  to  show  in  the  case  of  the 
Pentateuchal  Codes  and  of  the  historical  books  their 
gradual  expansion,  to  separate  original  material  from 
later  supplements  in  the  collections  of  the  utterances 
of  the  prophets,  and  to  follow  the  growth  of  more 
purely  literary  productions  like  Proverbs,  Psalms, 
Ecclesiastes  and  Job,  in  all  their  ramifications.  For 
the  Book  of  Ecclesiastes  I  have  shown  ^^  how  by  ad- 
ditions through  pious  commentators,  anxious  to  fur- 
nish the  antidote  to  Koheleth's  cynicism,  and  by  the 
insertions  of  ethical  maxims  and  popular  sayings  as  a 
further  means  of  weakening  the  effect  of  unorthodox 
teachings,  a  different  turn  was  given  to  the  original 
book.  In  the  case  of  the  much  larger  Book  of  Job  the 
process  of  growth  and  modifications  is  far  more  intri- 
cate, and  it  will  not  be  possible,  without  exhausting 
the  patience  of  the  general  reader  to  do  more  than 
offer  a  number  of  illustrations  of  the  manner  in  which 
the  original  Book  of  Job  was  modified  throughout. 

II 

VARYING  VERSIONS  OF  THE  HEBREW  TEXT 

A  comparison  of  the  Hebrew  text  with  the  vari- 
ous Greek  translations  made  of  it  is  more  than  suffi- 

''  A  Gentle  CyniCy  p.  29. 

92 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

cient  to  show  that  there  was  no  fixed  original  as  late 
as  the  second  century  b.  c.  when  the  oldest  of  these 
translations,  commonly  known  as  the  Septuagint, 
appears  to  have  been  made.  According  to  the  Church 
Father  Origen  (185-254  a.  d.)  who  compiled  a  com- 
parative table  of  the  variations  in  no  less  than  six 
versions,  ^°  the  Septuagint  recension  was  about  one- 
sixth  shorter  than  our  present  Hebrew  text,  which 
means  that  instead  of  1070  verses  or  about  2200  lines, 
it  contained  only  about  890  verses  or  about  1830  lines. 
The  missing  portions  were  supplied  chiefly  from  a 
version  made  by  Theodotion  towards  the  end  of  the 
second  century  a.  d.  Origen  distinguished  these 
additions  by  an  asterisk  and  there  are  some  codi- 
ces in  which  these  asterisks  still  appear,  though  in 
most  codices  of  the  Greek  translation  the  additions 
have  been  incorporated  into  the  text  without  any 
distinguishing  mark.^^ 

As  a  further  witness  to  the  existence  of  a  trans- 
lation of  Job  differing  considerably  from  the  Hebrew 
text,  we  have  a  version  made  during  the  second  cen- 
tury a.  D.  from  Greek  into  the  Sahidic  dialect  ^^  and 
which  was  found  in  the  Library  of  the  Museum  Borg- 
hianum  in  Rome  in  1883  and  published  in  1889.^' 
This  version  actually  contains  about  400  lines  less 
than  the  full  text.     It  confirms,  therefore,  the  exis- 

^^  The  standard  edition  of  wiiat  is  preserved  of  Origen's  comprehensive 
work  is  by  Frederick  Field,  Origenis  Hexaplorum  qua  supersunt  (2  vols.,  Oxford, 
187s). 

*i  See  for  details  Budde's  introduction  to  his  commentary  on  Job,  2nd 
edition,  p.  Ivii  seq. 

^2  Sahidic  is  a  dialect  of  Coptic,  which  was  spoken  in  Upper  Egypt. 

^  By  A  Ciasca,  Sacrorum  Bibliorum  Fragmenta  Copto-Sahidica  Musei 
Bor  giant. 

93 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

tence  at  one  time  of  a  much  shorter  Book  of  Job  than 
our  present  one.  To  be  sure,  there  are  many  scholars 
who  are  inclined  to  explain  the  omissions  in  the 
original  Greek  translation  on  the  assumption  that  the 
translator  in  many  cases  intentionally  abbreviated 
the  Hebrew  original,  and  in  others  omitted  lines 
which  he  did  not  understand.  The  former  supposi- 
tion is  most  unlikely  in  view  of  the  sacred  character  of 
the  books  of  the  Old  Testament,  which  would  deter  a 
translator  from  taking  such  liberties  with  the  model 
before  him.  He  might,  if  not  in  sympathy  with  the 
original  purport  of  the  book,  be  tempted  to  add  to  it 
but  not  to  curtail  it.  Furthermore,  it  is  noticeable 
that  the  omissions  in  the  Sahidic  version  become 
more  numerous  as  we  proceed  from  the  first  series 
to  the  second  and  third  series  of  speeches.  In 
chapters  3  to  6  Qob's  first  speech,  the  answer  of 
Eliphaz  and  part  of  Job's  reply)  there  are  no  omis- 
sions; in  chapters  7  to  11  (conclusion  of  Job's  reply, 
the  first  speech  of  Bildad,  Job's  reply  and  Zophar's 
first  speech)  only  eleven  lines  are  omitted,  whereas 
in  Job's  reply  (chapters  12  to  14),  we  find  as  many 
as  17  lines  left  out.  The  obvious  conclusion  is  not 
that  the  translator  grew  tired  of  his  task  and  pro- 
ceeded to  curtail,  but  that  only  a  portion  of  the 
Symposium  had  as  yet  reached  its  final  stage,  that 
additions  continued  to  be  made  even  to  the  first 
series  of  speeches,  and  that  still  greater  liberties  con- 
tinued to  be  taken  with  the  later  series  and  with  the 
supplements  and  appendices  to  the  book. 

Nor  IS  it  at  all  plausible,  as  some  scholars  assume, 
that  omissions  in  the  original  Greek  translation  were 

94 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

due  to  the  difficulties  of  the  original  text  which  the 
translator  evaded  by  the  simple  method  of  leaving 
them  untranslated.  That  was  not  the  disposition  of 
ancient  translators,  who  would  be  disposed  to  make  a 
guess  at  a  translation  rather  than  to  omit  anything  of 
what  was  before  them.  Throughout  the  Old  Testa- 
ment the  Greek  version  varies  considerably  from  the 
Hebrew  original;  in  some  of  the  books  more,  in  some 
less.  These  variations  in  thousands  of  instances  rest 
upon  a  different  text  which  can  frequently  be  recon- 
structed. The  difference  of  one  letter  or  at  times  a 
different  vocalization  of  the  consonantal  framework 
of  the  Hebrew  original  often  accounts  for  the  varying 
translation,  though  in  a  larger  number  of  cases  a  more 
radical  variation  in  the  text  must  be  assumed,  while 
in  many  hundreds  of  instances  the  Greek  translation 
represents  a  guess  in  order  to  get  some  meaning  out  of 
a  difficult  or  a  corrupt  text.  It  does  not,  of  course, 
follow  that  the  reading  upon  which  the  Greek  version 
rests  is  more  acceptable  than  the  Hebrew  text,  though 
this  is  very  often  the  case,  but  the  variant  reading  is 
under  all  circumstances  an  important  witness  to  the 
absence  of  a  standardized  text  of  the  Old  Testament  as 
late  as  the  second  century  b.  c.  It  is  a  sufficient  answer 
to  the  assumption  that  omissions  in  the  original  Greek 
translation  are  due  to  evasions  of  difficulties  to  point 
out  that  the  omissions  occur  as  frequently — if  not 
more  so — in  passages  in  which  the  Hebrew  text  is 
perfectly  clear  as  in  such  cases  where  difficulties 
exist.  Furthermore,  in  the  older  Greek  versions 
as  in  that  of  Theodotion,  there  are  not  only  omis- 
sions but  also  numerous  additions  not  found  in  the 

95 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

Hebrew  Text,  which  confirm  the  position  here  taken 
of  the  incompleteness  of  the  book  until  close  to 
the  threshold  of  our  era  and  perhaps  indeed  beyond 
this  limit. 

It  is  interesting  as  well  as  significant  to  note  in 
this  connection  that  even  after  a  standard  Hebrew 
text  of  the  Old  Testament  had  been  established,  at 
the  end  of  the  first  century  a.  d.,  the  Jewish  Church 
did  not  object  to  its  expansion  on  the  part  of  those 
who  made  a  rendering  of  the  collection  into  the  cur- 
rent Aramaic  speech  ®^  so  that  the  uneducated  classes 
might  also  share  in  the  benefits  of  the  sacred  col- 
lection. The  Aramaic  rendering,  known  as  the  Tar- 
gum,  ^^  is  a  combination  of  a  translation  with  ampli- 
fying comments  not  distinguished  from  the  text. 
Often  the  amplification  is  limited  to  a  few  words,  but 
very  frequently  it  is  extended  to  a  little  homily  on  the 
text.  It  was  customary  for  the  expounder  first  to 
read  a  verse  in  Hebrew  and  then  to  give  an  Aramaic 
rendering  which  might  be  literal,  but  which  would  also 
furnish  him  with  the  occasion  to  expand  it  at  will. 
The  point  to  be  born  in  mind  is  that  in  this  expansion 
no  separation  was  made  between  text  and  comment. 
The  expansion  of  the  text  led  in  the  course  of  time  to 
the  elaboration  of  Biblical  traditions  and  narratives 
which  developed  Into  an  extensive  Midrashic  litera- 
ture embodying  further  legends  entwined  around  the 
patriarchs  and  around  such  types  as  Moses,  Aaron, 

"Hebrew  ceased  to  be  the  current  speech  in  Palestine  after  the  sixth 
century  b.c.  and  was  gradually  replaced  by  Aramaic  which  had  spread  also 
through  Mesopotamia  and  Syria. 

^5 Meaning  "translation"  or  perhaps  more  accurately  "interpretation.** 
The  underlying  stem  is  the  same  as  in  dragoman,  i.e.,  targeman. 

96 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

Joshua,  Samuel,  Elijah,  David  and  Solomon.  ®* 
Biblical  books  thus  became  the  starting-point  of  a 
literature  that  is  the  outcome  of  a  process  of  con- 
tinuous expansion  of  an  original  text  by  comments, 
variants,  additions,  illustrations  and  the  like. 


Ill 

ADDITIONS  TO  THE  TEXT  OF  AN  EXPLANATORY 
CHARACTER 

Perhaps  we  can  best  approach  our  task  of  show- 
ing the  method  followed  in  making  the  original  Book 
of  Job  more  palatable  to  orthodox  tastes  by  some  il- 
lustrations of  additions  made  with  an  explanatory 
purpose,  or  which  represent  variant  readings  em- 
bodied into  the  original  text  instead  of  being  relegated 
to  footnotes  as  we  would  do  in  the  case  of  a  modem 
text.  From  these  we  can  then  pass  on  to  additions 
and  modifications  introduced  with  the  specific  purpose 
of  toning  down  some  particularly  objectionable  utter- 
ance or  of  giving  a  different  turn  to  Job's  thought. 

Even  in  the  prose  prologue  we  find  evidence  of  the 
hand  of  commentators  engaged  in  making  additions 
to  the  text.  In  chapter  2,  I  the  phrase  "to  gather 
around  Yahweh"  appears  twice.  The  repetition  is 
unnecessary  and  is  not  found  in  the  original  Greek 
version  or  in  some  of  the  later  ones.  The  addition  was 
made  by  some  commentator  who  wished  to  emphasize 


'*  A  large  collection  of  these  Legends  of  the  Jews  In  English  translation 
was  made  by  Dr.  L.  Ginsburg  and  published  by  the  American  Jewish  Publica- 
tion Society  {Legends  of  the  Jews,  4  volumes,  Philadelphia,  1909-13). 

7  97 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

that  Satan  came  with  the  "Sons  of  God/'  and  not 
alone,  that  he  was  at  God's  service  and  not  an  inde- 
pendent being.  Again  towards  the  close  of  the  chap- 
ter, the  words  "toward  heaven"  are  added  to  the 
statement  that  the  three  friends  as  a  sign  of  grief  at 
Job's  distress  "tore  their  upper  garments  and  sprin- 
kled dust  over  their  heads."  This  was  done  in  order  to 
explain  that  the  dust  after  being  placed  on  the  head 
was  thrown  into  the  air,  though  it  is  doubtful  whether 
this  explanation  is  correct.  The  words  are  again 
missing  in  the  Greek  version. 

Of  a  different  character  but  pointing  to  an  in- 
tentional change  in  the  text  is  the  substitution  of 
"bless"  for  "curse"  in  no  less  than  four  places  in  the 
prologue  (i,  5  and  ii ;  2,  5  and  9)  in  order  to  avoid  a 
word  of  ill  omen,  as  in  English  "darned"  came  into 
use  in  place  of  "damned."  To  a  sensitive  age  it 
seemed  objectionable  to  find  Job  saying  in  a  sacred 
book  that  his  sons  may  have  "cursed"  God  (i,  5)  or 
Satan  intimating  that  Job  might  "curse  God"  (i,  11 
and  2,  5)  or  even  that  Job's  unsympathetic  wife 
should  call  upon  her  husband  to  "  curse  God  and  die. " 
In  all  these  cases  the  word  "bless"  was  substituted 
with  intent.  «^  In  the  prose  epilogue  (42,  7-17)  there 
are  likewise  late  additions,  partly  to  add  picturesque 
touches  and  in  part  with  a  more  serious  intent.  So 
e,  g.  is  the  closing  statement  (42,  17) 

"So  Job  died,  old  and  full  of  days" 
which  is  missing  in  the  original  Greek  version.    In  re- 

"  The  Church  Father  Ambrosian  already  recognized  that  the  avoidance 
of  the  word  "curse"  was  intentional. 

98 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

turn,  the  Greek  version  of  Theodotion  has  a  long  sup- 
plementary notice  ^^  about  Job  and  his  friends  which 
IS  not  in  the  Hebrew  text. 

When  we  come  to  the  Symposium,  we  have  a  valu- 
able index  for  detecting  comments  and  variants  in 
the  practically  uniform  character  of  the  stanza  of  four 
lines  ^^  and  a  further  index  in  the  length  of  each  line 
— with  three  beats  in  each  line — for  while  to  be 
sure  there  is  no  absolute  uniformity,  yet  when  we 
find  an  inordinately  long  line,  we  may  properly  sus- 
*pect  some  addition  as  a  comment  or  gloss.  ^°  Let 
us  take  up  these  two  points.  Without  entering 
into  details  of  Hebrew  poetry  which  would  carry 
us  too  far,  ^^  there  is  general  agreement  among 
scholars  that  the  two  striking  features  of  this  poetry 
are  the  parellelismus  membrorum,  i.  e.,  an  agreement 
in  thought  with  some  progression  in  the  thought, 
dividing  a  stanza  into  two  halves  and  within  each 
stanza  an  agreement  in  regard  to  the  number  of  beats 
in  corresponding  lines.  There  is  no  rhyme  in  Hebrew 
poetry  but  there  is  rhythm  which  rests  upon  an  equal 
number  of  beats,  irrespective  of  the  number  of  syl- 
lables beyond  certain  limits,  which  would  obviously 
interfere  with  the  regularity  of  the  beats.  When, 
therefore,  we  find  a  disproportion  between  two  lines 
that  form  the  first  or  second  half  of  a  stanza,  we  are 

^  See  below  at  the  close  of  the  translation  for  this  supplementary  state- 
ment which  is  very  elaborate  and  clearly  based  on  a  Hebrew  or  Aramaic  original. 

*'  See  Duhm's  discussion,  Hioby  p.  17. 

'°  Occasionally  we  find  shorter  lines  with  two  beats  and  frequently  long 
lines  with  four  beats,  but  in  all  such  cases  the  variation  raises  a  suspicion 
whether  the  line  in  question  is  not  defective,  or  whether  the  superfluous  word  or 
words  belong  to  the  original  text. 

^  See  for  a  general  survey,  G.  B.  Gray,  Forms  of  Hebrew  Poetry  (London, 
191s). 

99 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

justified  in  suspecting  some  addition.    So,  e.  g.,  in  7,  9 

which  reads 

"The  cloud  dissolves  and  is  gone; 
So  the  one  who  goes  down  to  Sheol  does  not  come  up." 

The  second  line  in  the  original  Hebrew  is  halting  be- 
cause of  its  length.  If  we  remove  the  word  "Sheol," 
this  difficulty  disappears  and  the  poetic  quality  is  im- 
proved. Some  commentator  added  "Sheol"  to  indi- 
cate what  was  meant.  In  10,  12  the  word  "life"  does 
not  accord  with  the  verb  used  which  is  literally 
"  made. "  The  combination  is  un-Hebraic.  The  line  is 
improved  in  its  proportions  by  making  it  read : 
"Grace  Thou  didst  grant  me" 

and  by  regarding  "life"  as  a  comment  or  gloss.    Not 

infrequently  the  excess  word  or  phrase  in  a  line  has 

been  inserted  as  a  comment  or  gloss  into  the  wrong 

place,  which  suggests  that  it  may  originally  have  been 

placed  on  the  margin  of  a  scroll,  and  then  misplaced 

by  a  copyist  who  wished  to  embody  the  comment  in 

the  text.    An  example  of  such  a  misplaced  gloss  is  to 

be  found  in  J,  4  where  the  words  "in  the  gate"  (in 

Hebrew  one  word)  are  clearly  out  of  place.   The  two 

lines  should  read: 

"His  sons  far  from  salvation, 
And  crushed,  with  none  to  save  them." 

Transpose  the  phrase  "in  the  gate"  to  the  first  line  of 
the    preceding    distich, 

"I  have  seen  the  foolish  take  root  in  the  gate" 

and  you  get  a  comment  that  is  reasonable,  the  phrase 
"in  the  gate"  being  idiomatically  used  for  the  place 
where  people  gather.    A  still  clearer  case  of  an  entire 

100 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB.    .,-,.,. 

line  forming  a  variant  and  inserted  at  the  wrong 
place  IS  to  be  found  15,  30, 

"He  shall  not  escape  from  the  darkness." 

A  glance  shows  that  it  does  not  fit  in  with  the  context, 
neither  with  what  precedes  nor  with  what  follows. 
If,  however,  one  transfers  it  to  v.  22,  the  first  half 
of  which  reads: 

"He  has  no  hope  to  escape  from  darkness," 

we  have  an  intelligible  variant,  which  some  commen- 
tator presumably  placed  on  the  margin  of  his  copy 
and  which  a  copyist  inserted  at  the  wrong  place. 
Again  17,  12  is  a  distich  that  interrupts  the  context. 
It  is  omitted  in  the  original  Greek  version,  and  can 
best  be  explained  as  consisting  of  two  glosses, 

(a)  "Night  they  change  to  day" 

(b)  "Light  is  preferable  to  darkness" 

added  by  way  of  comment  to  18,  5-6,  beginning: 
"Surely,  the  light  of  the  wicked  is  put  out" 

The  first  gloss  is  intended  to  suggest  that  the  wicked 
ply  their  trade  at  night,  and  the  second  is  to  furnish 
the  reason  for  the  emphasis  on  light,  spark  and  lamp 
in  18,  S-6.  Such  comments  need  not  necessarily  re- 
veal the  true  explanation;  and  in  this  case  the  com- 
mentator mistakes  the  force  of  the  metaphors,  by  tak- 
ing them  too  literally.  In  the  same  way  22,  8  which 
properly  translated  reads: 

"The  man  of  might — to  him  is  the  earth; 
And  the  exalted  dwells  therein," 

interrupts  Eliphaz's  accusations  against  Job  that  he 
refused  charity  to  the  poor  (v.  7)  and  neglected  widows 

lOI 


„,....<       <rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

and  orphans  (v.  9).  The  distich  clearly  belongs  to 
Job's  indictment  of  injustice  in  the  world  with  which 
chapter  21  is  taken  up.  It  would  be  appropriate 
after  21,  31.  The  two  lines  impress  one  as  a  popular 
saying  which  some  reader  added  on  the  margin  of 
his  copy,  and  which  thence  crept  into  another  copy 
prepared  by  some  scribe. 

We  have  quite  a  number  of  such  maxims  intro- 
duced into  Job,  just  as  many  were  interspersed 
throughout  Ecclesiastes  by  later  manipulators  of  the 
text.  At  times  they  are  appropriate,  but  often  they 
interrupt  the  context  in  a  somewhat  unfortunate 
manner. 

So  in  Eliphaz's  first  speech  (chapter  4)  we  have  a 
popular  maxim  introduced  in  v.  10: 

**The  lion  may  roar  and  the  fierce  one  howl, 
But  the  teeth  of  the  young  lions  are  broken." 

with  the  following  verse  added  by  way  of  amplification : 

"The  old  lion  perishes  for  lack  of  prey, 
And  the  whelps  of  the  lioness  are  scattered." 

The  two  verses  do  not  stand  in  close  relation  to  what 
precedes,  and  appear  to  have  been  inserted  by  some 
commentator  as  an  illustration  of  one's  reaping  what 
one  sows  (v.  8^).  Chapter  17,  S  which  should  be 
translated  as  follows: 

"Among  friends  one  divides  one's  fortune, 
While  one's  own  sons  languish" 

is  evidently  a  popular  saying  to  illustrate  a  foolish 
kind  of  generosity,  which,  to  be  sure,  is  not  particu- 
larly appropriate  at  its  present  place.  The  first  half 
is  missing  in  the  original  Greek  version,  which  in- 

102 


tHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

creases  the  suspicion  of  its  being  a  later  insertion — 
perhaps  again  at  an  entirely  wrong  place. 
A  clear  case  of  a  popular  saying  is  20,  16: 

"He  who  sucks  the  poison  of  asps, 
The  tongue  of  the  viper  shall  kill  him," 

It  was  suggested  by  the  reference  to  "gall  of  asps"  in 
V.  14,  though  the  maxim  has  no  bearing  on  the  argu- 
ment that  ill-gotten  gain  will  not  endure.  Again,  it  is 
to  be  noted  that  in  the  original  Greek  version  only 
a  part  of  the  verse  is  found. 

Referring  the  reader  to  the  translation  for  fur- 
ther examples  of  such  introduced  sayings  as  well  as 
little  comments  and  glosses — of  which  there  are  sev- 
eral hundred  scattered  throughout  the  original  book 
and  the  supplements — let  us  take  up  a  few  examples 
of  superfluous  lines  added  to  the  conventional  stanza 
of  four  lines,  and  which  will  be  found  to  be  either  an 
amplification  of  the  text  or  must  be  regarded  as  a 
variant  line,  either  orally  transmitted  or  taken  over 
from  some  codex. 

IV 
SUPERFLUOUS  LINES 

In  Eliphaz's  first  speech,  we  encounter  a  super- 
fluous line,  4, 19  where 

"Whose  foundation  is  in  the  dust" 

is  evidently  a  comment  to  ''clay  houses"  in  the  line 
reading: 

"How  much  more  in  those  who  live  in  clay  houses." 

In  the  same  speech  the  fifth  verse  of  chapter  5 
has  occasioned  endless  difficulties  to  modern  exegetes. 

103 


^HE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

If  we  remove  the  superfluous  line  (5,  5^)  we  obtain  a 
distich 

"What  they  gather,  the  hungry  eat; 
And  the  thirsty  (?)  drain  their  substance,'* 

while  the  additional  line  by  a  textual  change  gives  us 

"Gathering  it  into  granaries" 

as  a  comment  to  the  verse. 

In  Job's  reply  to  Eliphaz  we  find  in  6,  4  a  super- 
fluous   line, 

"Whose  poison  drains  my  spirit," 
which  is  an  explanation  to 

"The  arrows  of  Shaddai  are  within  me." 

An  Instance  of  a  superfluous  line  suggested  by  a  par- 
allel passage  occurs  13,  27  where 

"Thou  keepest  guard  over  all  my  v^ays" 
is  taken  over  from  33,11,  just  as  in  7, 1 1 
"I  will  speak  in  the  anguish  of  my  spirit" 

occurs  again  10,  I  ^^  and  is  evidently  there  taken  over 
from  our  passage. 

In  chapter  24,  we  have  a  superfluous  line  in  each 
of  four  successive  verses  (12-15).  The  close  of  v.  12 
which  should  be  rendered 

"But  God  does  not  hear  (their)  prayer'* 

is  a  gloss  on  the  part  of  a  reader  or  commentator  who 
sympathized  with  Job's  argument.  At  the  end  of  v.  13 
the  line 

"They  do  not  know  its  ways" 

"  Except  that  a  synonym  "soul"  is  used  for  spirit. 
104 


rUE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

is  a  comment  (reminding  one  of  Ps.  2,  2)  or  a  variant 
line  to  the  second  half: 

"They  sit  not  in  its  paths. 
In  V.  14 

"He  kills  the  poor  and  the  needy" 
is  a  comment  to  the  first  half  of  the  distich,  and  again 
in  V.  15,  the  superfluous  line 

"Saying,  no  eye  sees  me," 
is  an  explanatory  comment  to 

"The  eye  of  the  adulterer  waits  for  the  daylight?" 

These  examples  justify  us  in  removing  the  large 
number  of  superfluous  lines,  scattered  throughout  the 
original  Book  of  Job,  as  well  as  through  the  supple- 
ment and  appendices  and  to  regard  them  as  comments 
or  variants.  By  thus  restoring  the  four  line  stanza,  ^^ 
we  obtain  a  uniform  poetic  form,  with  a  resultant 
greater  force  in  many  cases  where  the  superfluous 
line  makes  the  style  turgid. 

As  a  final  proof  of  the  liberties  taken  with  the 
text  in  expandingit  by  comments,  variants  and  glosses, 
we  may  instance  the  many  cases  in  which  an  entire 
verse  or  several  verses  appear  to  be  later  insertions, 
with  a  view  of  clarifying  the  thought  or  for  other 
reasons  amplifying  it.  A  few  illustrations  will  suf- 
fice.   The  fourth  verse  of  chapter  8,  reading 

"If  thy  children  had  sinned  against  Him,  He  would  give 
them  up  because  of  their  transgression  " 

"^  First  consistently  carried  out  by  Bickell,  Das  Buck  Hioh  (yienna  1894), 
though  on  the  basis  of  a  metric  theory  which  does  not  commend  itself.  Duhm 
{Hiob^  p.  17)  likewise  assumes  a  four-line  stanza  throughout  and  Beer  {Text 
des  Buches  Hioby  p.  viii)  inclines  towards  this  view,  as  does  Gray  (Amer- 
ican Journal  of  Semitic  Languages,  vol.  36,  p.  95),  though  the  latter  assumes 
some  exceptions. 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

is   an   interruption   of  the   context,    and    moreover 

prosaic  in  form.    Verse  3  reading: 

"Does  God  pervert  judgment? 
Does  Shaddai  pervert  right?" 

joins  directly  to  v.  5,  promising  God's  grace  if  only- 
Job  would  seek  out  God  and  provided  he  were  really 
pure  and  upright.  The  inserted  verse  is  the  reflection 
of  some  reader  who  thought  to  answer  the  question 
asked  in  v.  3,  by  suggesting  that  since  Job  would  ex- 
pect his  children  to  be  punished  in  case  they  had 
sinned — ^why  should  that  not  be  the  explanation  in 
his  case? 

Similarly,  in  chapter  13,  verse  10  reading: 
"He  would  surely  rebuke  you,  if  you  secretly  showed  favor" 

is  an  inserted  answer  in  prose  form  to  the  question 

asked  in  v.  9  and  which  is  continued  in  v.  11, 

Again  in  chapter  14,  verse  11,  reading: 

"Waters  drain  the  sea, 
And  the  stream  dries  up" 

interrupts  the  context  and  may  be  regarded  as  a  re- 
flection inserted  by  some  reader  or  commentator,  on 
the  i^evitableness  of  death  as  set  forth  in  verses  10 
and  12.  It  appears  to  be  a  quotation  from  Isaiah  19,  5. 
In  chapter  22,  verse  24  is  missing  in  the  original 
Greek  version  which  confirms  the  suspicion  that 

"Gold  ore  will  be  regarded  as  dust, 
And  Ophir  ^*  gold  as  the  rock  of  the  valleys." 

is  a  later  insertion  which  interprets  the  metaphor  in 

V.  25  literally: 

"Shaddai  will  be  thy  gold  mine, 
And  silver  in  superabundance  to  thee." 

'*  Name  of  the  region  whence  specially  fine  gold  was  procured. 
106 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

The  aggregate  of  these  additions  is  considerable. 
By  removing  superfluous  lines,  briefer  comments  and 
glosses,  the  text  is  reduced  by  several  hundred  verses, 
so  that  we  can  now  understand  how  a  version  of  the 
Hebrew  text  should  have  existed  in  the  second  century 
B.  c.  so  much  shorter  than  our  present  one  and  from 
which  the  first  Greek  translation  was  made.  How 
foolish  in  view  of  this  to  make  a  fetish  of  the  author- 
ized Hebrew  text  as  finally  fixed  by  the  Jewish  church, 
and  to  regard  it  as  an  infringement  on  the  sanctity 
of  Biblical  books  to  apply  the  canons  of  textual 
criticism  to  Job  or  to  any  other  book  of  the  sacred 
collection. 

As  a  matter  of  fact,  quite  apart  from  the  evidence 
brought  forward  to  prove  the  liberties  taken  both 
with  the  original  book  and  with  the  supplements  and 
appendices  by  readers  or  commentators,  the  Hebrew 
text  of  Job  teems  with  all  kinds  of  errors  due  to  care- 
less or  ignorant  copyists.  In  many  cases  the  correct 
text  can  be  restored,  often  through  the  substitution  of 
a  single  letter  for  a  wrong  one.  At  times  the  Greek 
version  helps  us  to  detect  the  errors  of  Hebrew  copy- 
ists, just  as  in  return  the  Hebrew  text  occasionally 
permits  us  to  recognize  an  error  made  by  a  Greek 
copyist.  Often — very  often  indeed — a  more  radical 
procedure  is  necessary  to  enable  us  to  restore  the  text 
at  least  approximately  to  what  it  must  have  been,  and 
sometimes  we  must  confess  ourselves  bafiBed  by  a 
hopeless  corruption — hopeless  beyond  recovery  except 
through  the  employment  of  an  arbitrary  method 
which  the  best  Biblical  scholarship  has  never  counte- 
nanced.   It  is  impossible  to  penetrate  the  meaning  of 

107 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

hundreds  upon  hundreds  of  passages  in  the  Book  of 
Job  without  resorting  to  a  critical  method  in  the 
study  of  the  text.  Our  English  versions  which  aim  to 
translate  the  book  as  it  stands  are  the  proof  for  this 
assertion.  Excluding  the  prologue  and  epilogue,  it  is 
rare  to  find  ten  consecutive  verses  which  can  be  re- 
garded as  correct  renderings,  and  not  infrequently 
more  than  half  of  the  verses  in  a  chapter  in  the 
ordinary  translation  stand  in  need  of  greater  or 
smaller  revision  in  order  to  reproduce  what  once  stood 
in  the  original.  The  need,  therefore,  of  an  entirely 
revised  translation,  based  upon  a  critical  study  with  a 
utilization  of  the  results  reached  by  other  scholars  who 
have  toiled  over  the  Book  of  Job,  is  too  obvious  to 
require  further  justification.  This  need  becomes 
even  more  obvious  when  we  turn  to  additions  made 
to  the  original  book  in  the  interest  of  Jewish  ortho- 
doxy, in  the  hope  of  converting  a  skeptical  work 
into  a  support  for  conventional  views  against  which 
the  writers  of  Job  in  its  original  form  entered 
a  protest. 


CHAPTER  IV 

HOW  A  SKEPTICAL  BOOK  WAS  TRANSFORMED 
INTO  A  BULWARK  OF  ORTHODOXY 

I 

CHANGES  IN  THE  ORIGINAL  BOOK  OF  JOB  MADE  IN 

THE  INTERESTS  OF  JEWISH  ORTHODOXY 

We  have  already  had  occasion  to  point  out  how 
the  word  "bless"  was  substituted  for  "curse"  in 
four  places  in  the  prologue,  because  to  the  final  editors 
it  seemed  objectionable  even  to  suggest  that  any  one 
should  "curse"  God.  The  same  spirit  prompted 
pious  commentators  to  change  the  third  person  "He" 
when  it  referred  to  God  to  "I,"  in  order  to  tone  down 
a  too  audacious  challenge  on  the  part  of  Job.  So  at 
the  close  of  chapter  9,  the  ordinary  translation : 

"For  I  am  not  so  with  myself" 

is  meaningless  and  stands  in  no  connection  with  the 
preceding  line  in  which  Job  says  that  if  God  would 
only  remove  His  rod  and  not  startle  him  by  terror — 
meaning  his  sufferings — 

"I  would  declare  without  fear  of  Him" 

Now  if  in  the  following  line  we  change  the  "I"  to 
"He"  and  take  the  word  translated  "so"  in  the  sense 
of  "fair"  or  "just"  which  is  obviously  meant  here,"^^ 

'^  First  suggested  by  Ehrlich  (Randglossen  6,  p.  220).  The  Hebrew  word 
Is  ken  which  means  "just,"  though  the  same  two  consonants  also  form  an 
adverb  "so." 

109 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

we  obtain  at  once  a  proper  parallel  and  a  logical 
continuation  of  the  thought: 

"That  He  is  not  fair  to  me." 

In  the  same  chapter,  the  bold  challenge  of  Job 
in  the  19th  verse  was  toned  down  by  changing  "Him" 
to  "me"  and  by  a  different  vocalization  of  the  final 
root,  so  as  to  make  the  line  read : 

"And  if  of  justice,  who  will  appoint  me  a  time?" 

The  line  as  it  stands  is  meaningless.  Job  in  his  bitter 
revolt  against  his  fate  says  that  he  is  willing  to  admit 
God's  superior  strength,  but  what  he  asks  is  justice. 
The  distich  should  read: 

"If  it  is  a  test  of  strength — He  is  surely  superior, 
But  if  it  is  [a  question  of]  justice — ^who  can  arraign  Him?  ^^ 

The  two  lines  emphasize  the  dilemma  which  is  the 
theme  of  chapter  9  that  no  one  can  bring  a  suit 
against  God,  because  God  is  the  judge  before  whom 
the  suit  would  have  to  be  brought. 

Similarly,  as  already  pointed  out,  the  reading  at 
the  beginning  of  chapter  32  that  Job  regarded  him- 
self as  justified  in  "his  own  eyes"  is  an  intentional 
change,  so  as  to  avoid  the  implication  that  Job  had 
completely  triumphed  by  answering  his  friends.  The 
Greek  version  shows  that  the  original  reading 
was  that 

"Job  was  justified  in  their  eyes." 
Such  an  assertion  which  would  put  an  end  to  all 


'"The  Greek  and  Syriac  versions  preserve  the  original  reading  "Him. 
no 


tHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

further  discussion  could  not  be  tolerated,  and  so  by 
a  slight  change  the  final  verdict  in  favor  of  Job  was 
changed  into  a  rebuke  for  his  conceit,  none  the  less 
severe  for  being  put  in  an  indirect  manner.  It  is 
with  the  same  intent  of  increasing  the  severity  of 
Zophar's  rebuke  to  Job  because  he  regards  himself 
as  innocent  that  prompted  a  pious  commentator  to 
change  what  Zophar  said  to  Job; 

"Thou  art  pure  in  thine  eyes."    (ii,  4.) 

into  a  direct  assertion  on  the  part  of  Job: 

"I  am  pure  in  His  eyes  "  '^ 

implying  that  God  knew  that  Job  was  innocent  but 
was  wilfully  cruel  toward  him. 

By  way  of  contrast  to  a  change  made  with  such 
intent,  we  have  instances  of  others  that  might  be  char- 
acterized as  introduced  ad  majorem  gloriam  Dei.  So, 
for  example,  in  the  description  of  the  strength  of  the 
crocodile,  a  pious  reader  thought  that  it  would  heigh- 
ten the  effect  to  change  the  obviously  correct  reading: 

"Who  could  stand  up  against  him? 
Who  could  attack  him  and  come  out  whole?"     (41,  2.)  ^ 

into  a  reference  to  God's  superior  power  by  reading 
in  both  lines  "me"  for  "him."  A  glance  at  the  con- 
text suffices  to  show  that  the  change  entirely  spoils 
the  climax  to  the  stirring  and  impressive  description 
of  the  huge  beast  against  whom  no  one  can  stand  up. 


"  i.e.y  in  God's  eyes.  So  the  Greek  version.  We  might  also  retain 
"Thine  eyes"  (with  a  capital  T)  and  refer  it  to  God.  So  the  translation  of  the 
American  Jewish  Publication  Society. 

'^Or  41,  10  according  to  the  enumeration  in  the  AV  and  RV. 


Ill 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

The  Greek  version,  as  usual  in  the  case  of  such  inten- 
tional changes,  preserves  the  correct  reading.^* 

II 
ADDITIONS  BY  PIOUS  COMMENTATORS 
As  long  as  Job  confined  himself  to  complaints,  as 
he  does  in  his  first  two  speeches,  pious  commentators 
allowed  them  to  pass,  bitter  though  those  complaints 
were.  Nor  did  they  feel  prompted  to  intervene 
when  Job,  enlarging  upon  his  theme,  generalizes  on 
the  hard  fate  of  man  which  he  pathetically  describes 
as  service  like  that  of  a  hireling  thirsting  for  the  even- 
ing shade  (7,  1-2)  when  he  will  be  released  from  his 
task,  but  when  in  his  third  speech,  (chapters  9-10) 
he  reaches  his  main  argument  that  one  who  feels 
himself  to  be  suffering  without  just  cause  cannot 
bring  his  case  before  God  for  investigation  without 
by  so  doing  off'ending  the  Deity  by  the  impHed  sus- 
picion of  injustice,  the  pious  commentators  felt  that 
it  was  time  to  step  in.  Job,  in  reply  to  the  insistence 
of  Eliphaz  on  God's  power,  admits  this  and  proceeds 
to  give  illustrations  of  the  destructive  and  terrifying 
manifestation  of  Divine  power — how  God  overturns 
mountains  in  His  wrath  and  shakes  the  earth,  hides 
the  sun  and  seals  up  the  stars  (9,  2-7).  In  this  same 
strain  he  continues, 

"He  goes  by  me  without  my  seeing  Him; 
He  passes  on  without  my  knowing."    (9,  11.) 

but  just  before  this,  two  verses  are  inserted  to  give  a 
different  turn  to  Job's  thought  by  emphasizing,  as 

"  Not  infrequently,  however,  one  of  the  later  Greek  versions  itself  tries 
to  tone  down  the  unorthodox  utterances  of  Job  by  giving  them  a  different  turn. 
Example  will  be  found  in  the  notes  to  9,  21  and  11,3. 

112 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

EHphaz  does,  the  marvels  of  God  that  are  majestic 
without  being  destructive  or  terrifying.  Clearly 
verses  8-10  of  this  ninth  chapter  reading: 

"Who  by  Himself  stretches  out  the  heavens, 
And  treads  their  heights, 
Who  makes  the  Aldebaran,  and  Orion, 
The  Pleiades  and  the  constellations  of  the  South. 
Who  does  great  things  past  finding  out, 
And  wonders  without  number," 

are  a  later  insertion,  introduced  with  intent  to  make 
Job  speak  as  Eliphaz  has  done.  If  any  further  proof 
were  needed,  it  would  be  found  in  the  last  distich 
which  is  a  quotation  from  Eliphaz's  speech  (5,  9). 
In  this  fourth  speech  (chapters  12-14),  the  extra- 
ordinary length  of  which  raises  the  suspicion  that  it 
has  been  amplified.  Job  begins  by  bringing  forth  his 
charge  that  the  wicked  prosper  while  the  innocent 
are  laughed  to  scorn.  Such  is  also  the  burden  of  his 
four  following  speeches  by  the  side  of  the  ever- 
recurring  complaint  of  his  sad  plight.  This  affords 
the  pious  commentators  the  desired  opportunity  to 
intersperse  their  orthodox  reflections,  so  as  to  take 
off  as  it  were  the  sharp  edge  of  the  severe  indictment 
of  Divine  justice.  So  in  12,  6  after  Job  has  declared 
that 

"The  tents  of  the  robbers  prosper, 
And  there  is  security  for  those  who  provoke  God" 

Our  pious  commentator  adds: 

"Whom  God  holds  in  His  power." 

Job  continues  and  says  that  the  beasts,  the  birds  of 
heaven  and  what  crawls  on  the  earth  and  the  fish 

8  113 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

of  the  sea  know  that  all  nature  is  a  struggle  in  which 
one  fails  to  see  justice  at  work, 

"Who  does  not  know  all  these  things?" 
Knows  what?  To  the  assurance: 

"That  the  hand  of  Yahweh  has  done  this, 

Our  pious  commentator  adds : 

"  In  whose  hand  Is  the  soul  of  every  living  being  and  the 
breath  of  all  mankind."    (12,  10.) 

The  prose  form  reveals  the  insertion,  the  evident 
intent  of  which  is  to  give  Job's  thought  a  different 
direction  from  the  one  towards  which  it  was  moving. 
The  introduction  of  the  name  Yahweh,  which  is  not 
used  in  the  poetic  discussions,  is  a  further  proof  that 
some  other  hand  than  that  of  the  original  compiler 
has  been  at  work.    The  following  verse  (12,  11): 

"Cannot  the  ear  test  words 
And  the  palate  taste  for  itself?" 

is  a  quotation  from  Elihu's  second  speech  (34,  3), 
merely  changed  into  a  question  form,  while  v.  12 
reading: 

["Not]  with  grey  beards  is  wisdom, 
Nor  understanding  with  the  aged." 

was  suggested  by  another  utterance  of  Elihu  (32,  9). 

Furthermore,  verse  13 

"With  Him  is  wisdom  and  might; 
With  Him  is  counsel  and  intelligence." 

IS  a  reflection  that  clearly  betrays  the  same  pious 
commentator  who  added  verse  10.  Omitting  these 
verses,  we  find  v.  14  forming  the  continuation  to 
the  question: 

"Who  does  not  know  all  these  things?" 
114 


tHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

Job  recurs  (w.  14-25)  to  his  admission  that  God  is 
powerful,  but  powerful  in  destroying  and  terrifying. 
We  may  likewise  suspect  the  hand  of  the  ortho- 
dox amplifier  in  the  last  verse  (v.  25)  of  the  chapter: 

"  So  that  they  grope  In  the  darkness  without  light, 
And  He  makes  them  stagger  like  a  drunken  man." 

Our  pious  commentator  is  thinking  of  the  overthrow 
of  worthless  guides  of  the  people,  and  therefore 
pictures  them  like  the  wicked  stumbling  in  the  dark- 
ness that  surrounds  them.  Job,  however,  has  in 
mind  merely  the  terrifying  manifestation  of  God's 
power  in  setting  aside  earthly  rulers,  no  matter  how 
high  their  station.  Nobles,  princes,  judges,  priests — 
are  all  swept  away  whenever  God  chooses  to  do  so.  He 
is  supreme — ^that  is  Job's  thought.  But  is  His  superior- 
ity exercised  with  justice  ?  That  is  the  question  which 
torments  the  writers  in  the  original  Book  of  Job. 

Removing  these  numerous  additions  the  length 
of  the  chapter  is  reduced  by  almost  one-half.  The 
process  of  amplification  is  continued  in  the  following 
two  chapters  (13-14.)  Job,  reflecting  on  the  brevity 
of  life  and  its  fullness  of  care,  says: 

"Man  is  born  of  woman, 
Few  of  days  and  full  of  trouble, 
He  comes  forth  like  a  flower  and  withers; 
Fleeing  as  a  disappearing  shadow."    (14,  1-2.) 

He  then  asks : 

"Hast  Thou,  indeed,  considered  this, 
In  bringing  him  to  judgment?'* 

The  pious  commentator  (verse  4),  conscious  of  man's 
sinful  nature,  answers  by  the  reflection, 

"  Can  one  bring  clean  out  of  unclean  ?    Not  one" 
"5 


tHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

i.e,y  the  unrepentant  sinner  who  is  none  other  than 
Job  himself  ever  remains  unclean  and  cannot  expect 
to  be  pardoned  for  his  misdoings. 

Consistent  with  what  we  have  seen  to  be  the 
practice  of  the  pious  commentators,  Job  is  permitted 
in  his  fifth  speech  (chapters  16-17)  to  rebuke  his 
friends,  to  recall  his  sufferings  and  to  pass  on  to  a 
description  of  the  hostile  forces  arrayed  against  him — 
all  without  interruption.  Only  when  towards  the 
close  of  chapter  16,  he  reaches  a  climax  of  bitterness 
in  appeaHng  to  the  earth  not  to  allow  his  blood  to  be 
shed  in  vain, 

"Earth,  do  not  cover  up  my  blood,^'^ 
That  there  be  no  occasion  for  my  outcry." 

a  pious  commentator  intervenes  to  give  the  assurance; 

"Even  now  my  witness  is  in  heaven.^^    (16,  19.) 

How  could  Job  in  one  and  the  same  breath  complain 
of  Divine  injustice,  and  then  declare  his  faith  in  a 
heavenly  witness.  So  far  from  God  vouching  for 
him.  Job  implies  in  the  verses  immediately  following 
that  his  appeals  are  not  heard: 

"On  high  my  thoughts  are  my  intercessors; 
To  God  my  eye  makes  the  appeal; 
That  mortal  may  secure  justice  from  God, 
As  between  a  man  and  his  fellow."    (16,  20-21.) 

— but  all  to  no  avail.  God  is  callous  to  the  cry  of 
anguish.  It  is  precisely  in  order  to  counterbalance 
the  extreme  bitterness  of  such  outbursts  that  a  pious 
reflection  about  the  "witness  in  heaven"  is  inserted. 

^°The  covering  up  of  the  blood  means  concealing  the  crime.  See  the 
note  to  the  passage. 

81  See  further  in  the  notes  to  the  translation  of  i6,  19-20. 

116 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

In  chapter  17,  our  pious  commentator  has 
another  opportunity  of  adding  a  reflection  (v.  9) : 

"The  righteous  clings  to  his  way," 
And  the  clean  of  hand  increases  in  strength." 

to  counterbalance  Job's  ironical  exclamation  that  the 
"upright  must  rejoice"  at  his  having  become  a  by- 
word of  the  people  and  that  "the  innocent  will  be 
aroused  against  the  impious" — meaning  himself. 
What  bitter  irony!  Job  speaks  of  himself  as  "im- 
pious," knowing  that  this  is  what  those  who  do  not 
understand  him  think.  His  awful  fate  will  cause 
rejoicing  among  the  godly,  because  he  is  looked  upon 
as  a  sinner.  Could  rebellion  against  the  Divine  order 
of  things  go  further?  No  wonder  that  the  pious 
commentator  felt  called  upon  to  step  in. 

In  Job's  seventh  speech  (chapter  21)  he  replies 
to  the  second  series  of  speeches  of  the  three  friends 
who  have  tried  to  outdo  one  another  in  portraying 
the  fate  that  overtakes  the  wicked.  The  burden  of 
these  speeches  is  that  though  the  evildoers  may  seem 
to  flourish  for  a  while,  inevitable  punishment  through 
God's  wrath  overtakes  them.    Says  Eliphaz  (ij,  20) : 

"All  his  days  the  wicked  is  in  terror, 
And  the  number  of  his  years  are  limited." 

SaysBildad  (18,  17-18): 

"His  remembrance  shall  perish  from  the  earth; 
And  nowhere  will  there  be  a  memorial  of  him. 
They  shall  drive  him  from  light  into  darkness; 
And  out  of  the  earth  they  shall  chase  him." 

Says  Zophar  (20,  27): 

"The  heavens  shall  reveal  his  iniquity. 
And  the  earth  shall  rise  up  against  him." 

117 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

Job's  patience — or  rather  what  is  left  of  it — is 
exhausted  by  this  three-fold  repetition  of  an  utterly 
false  account  of  what  really  happens  in  this  world. 
With  a  violence  surpassing  all  previous  utterances 
Job  proceeds  to  paint  a  true  picture  of  the  world  in 
which  we  live. 

"When  I  think  of  it,  I  am  dismayed, 
And  horror  takes  hold  of  me. 
Why  do  the  wicked  flourish, 
Grow  old  and  even  wax  mighty?"     (21,  S-y.) 

That  is  the  keynote  to  the  chapter,  which  rings  the 
changes  on  the  theme  that  happiness  and  success 
crown  the  activities  of  those  who  ride  roughshod 
over  all  ethical  restraints  in  seeking  their  goal. 

The  indictment  becomes  terrible  as  Job  describes 
the  merriment  that  abounds  in  the  homes  of  the 
wicked,  how  everything  goes  well,  how  all  ventures 
succeed,  how  they  pass  their  lives  without  any 
thought  of  God,  how  they  are  spared  when  calamity 
overtakes  others,  and  how,  when  satiated  with  happi- 
ness, they  sink  quietly  into  the  grave,  the  bier  is 
followed  by  a  large  concourse  of  mourners. 

"The  clods  of  the  valley  seem  sweet  to  him. 
As  the  whole  population  draws  after  him. 
How  then  can  you  comfort  me  with  vanity. 
Since  your  arguments  are  a  tissue  of  falsehood? "(21,  33.) 

What  can  the  pious  commentator  do  in  the  face  of 
such  an  indictment  .f*  He  tones  down  the  bitterness 
of  the  chapter  by  two  pious  reflections.  When  Job 
portrays  the  indifference  of  the  wicked  to  the  com- 
mands of  God, 

"To  God  they  say,  *Away  from  us; 
We  desire  not  the  knowledge  of  Thy  ways.'"   (21,  14.) 

118 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

our  commentator,  wishing  us  to  conclude  that  Job 

speaks  thus  (v.  i6),  adds: 

"Ah,  there  is  no  happiness  in  their  hand; 
The  counsel  of  the  wicked  be  far  from  me." 

The  reflection  would  be  in  place  if  one  of  the  friends 

had  made  it,  and  we  actually  find  the  second  line 

inserted  in  a  speech  of  Eliphaz  (22,  18^),  but  Job 

whose  whole  point  is  that  the  wicked  are  happy  could 

not  so  flagrantly  contradict  himself.     Again,  when 

Job  rises  to  the  height  of  bitterness  in  answering  the 

contention  of  his  friends  that  even  if  the  wicked  is 

not  punished  in  his  lifetime,  his  sons  are  made  to 

suffer.    What  does  he  care,  asks  Job,  what  happens 

to  others  as  long  as  he  escapes. 

"Let  Him  {i.e.,  God)  requite  him  that  he  may  know  it. 

«  4e  9k  *  «  * 

What  is  his  concern  in  his  house  after  him, 

When  the  number  of  his  months  is  completed?"  (21,  19-21.) 

This  audacity  was  too  much  for  our  pious  commen- 
tator who  therefore  adds: 

"Shall  one  presume  to  teach  God, 
Him  who  judges  on  high?"    (21,  22.) 

These  examples  will  suffice  to  show  how  through- 
out the  original  book  the  attempt  was  made  to  weaken 
the  skeptical  trend  by  insertions  and  reflections  that 
in  an  uncritical  age  would  not  fail  to  make  their 
appeal.  The  insertions  would  counterbalance  the 
genuine  passages  in  which  Job  passed  beyond  all 
bounds  in  the  vehemence  of  his  charges  against  God 
and  in  the  denunciation  of  the  cruel  fate  that  so 
often  overtakes  those  who  have  led  virtuous  and 
pious  lives.    One  could  point  to  these  pious  exclama- 

119 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

tions,  thus  liberally  interspersed  throughout  the 
speeches  of  Job,  in  reply  to  those  who  might  have 
been  troubled  by  the  large  number  of  sentiments 
expressed  by  Job  that  were  anything  but  pious.  The 
rebellious  and  impatient  Job,  according  to  this  ex- 
planation, represents  a  passing  mood;  the  true  Job 
is  revealed  in  the  pious  utterances;  and  so  the 
contradictions  between  evident  insertions  and  the 
genuine  passages  were  allowed  to  stand  until  the 
advent  of  modem  criticism. 

A  traditional  interpretation  of  the  original  Book 
of  Job  thus  arose  that  made  it  consistent  with  the 
genuine  Jewish  orthodoxy  as  taught  in  the  speeches 
of  Elihu  and  in  the  collection  of  nature  poems;  and 
tradition  as  it  grows  apace  is  apt  to  warp  the  criti- 
cal instinct  to  such  an  extent  that  after  the  lapse 
of  time  even  manifest  contradictions  fail  to  arrest 
one's  attention. 

Ill 

THE  TRANSFORMATION  OF  CRUCIAL  PASSAGES 

Comments  and  variants  and  changes  tending  to 
tone  down  objectionable  utterances  did  not  exhaust 
the  resources  of  those  who  were  bent  on  showing 
that  the  Job  of  the  Symposium  was  as  patient  and 
as  God-fearing  as  the  Job  of  the  popular  tale.  Pious 
commentators,  in  addition  to  adding  their  reflections 
which  came  to  be  looked  upon  as  integral  parts  of 
Job's  speeches,  did  not  hesitate  to  go  a  step  further 
and  by  apparently  innocent  changes  in  the  text 
Itself  before  it  became  rigidly  fixed,  succeeded  in 
giving  to  crucial  passages  an  entirely  different  mean- 

120 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

ing  from  the  one  originally  intended.  Let  us  take 
up  as  illustrations  the  two  most  famous  passages  in 
the  Book  of  Job,  still  popularly  regarded  as  proving 
the  staunch  piety  of  the  central  figure  in  the  Sym- 
posium. The  first  of  these  occurs  in  the  thirteenth 
chapter  and  is  familiar  to  everyone  in  the  traditional 
rendering: 

"Though  He  slay  me,  yet  will  I  trust  In  Him."     (13,  15.) 

Modem  scholarship  has  shown  that  the  verse  must 
be  translated: 

"Aye,  though  He  slay  me,  I  tremble  not,"  ^^ 

as  the  following  line,  furnishing  the  parallel  required 
by  poetry,  conclusively  proves; 

"For  all  that,  I  will  maintain  His  ^  course  to  His  face." 

The  correct  translation  is  adopted  by  the  Revised 
Version  and  by  all  modern  translators  with  a  single 
exception.^*  Now  how  did  the  erroneous  translation 
arise?  Simply  by  a  marginal  reading  "Him"  in  the 
Hebrew  text  in  place  of  "not,"  ^^  and  by  taking  the 
word  "tremble"  (or  possibly  "hope")  through  a 
different  vocalization  to  mean  "trust."  There  can 
be  no  doubt  that  the  marginal  reading  "Him"  is  an 
intentional  change  made  by  some  commentator  after 
the  text  had  been  fixed.     Convinced  that  the  Book 


*^0r  possibly,  "I  have  no  hope."  The  translation  of  the  American 
Baptist  Publication  Society  renders:  "Behold,  he  will  slay  me,  I  may  not 
hope."    See  the  note  to  the  passage  in  the  translation. 

^  Text  has  "my" — likewise  an  intentional  change,  to  diminish  the  auda- 
city of  the  challenge. 

**The  translation  issued  by  the  American  Jewish  Publication  Society 
retains  the  traditional,  but  entirely  untenable  rendering.  ^ 

"  Involving  a  very  slight  change,  both  words  having  the  same  sound  in 
Hebrew.    See  the  note  to  the  passage. 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

of  Job  as  it  stood  was  a  unit  and  determined  to  make 
it  a  defense  of  orthodox  Judaism,  he  could  not  recon- 
cile himself  to  the  thought  that  Job  could  give  utter- 
ance to  such  a  defiant  challenge,  as 

"Though  He  slay  me,  I  tremble  not." 

That  was  going  too  far.  The  pious,  patient,  model 
Job  could  not  have  said  that,  and  so  he  was  made  to 
say  the  very  contrary  that  he  would  retain  his  faith 
in  God,  even  though  God  should  decide  to  put  him 
to  death — innocently.  This  intentional  but  unwar- 
ranted change  is  an  interesting  illustration  of  the 
difficulties  felt  by  the  later  Jewish  theologians  in 
giving  to  Job  an  orthodox  character,  even  after 
pious  commentators  and  the  amplifiers  of  the  book 
had  done  their  work.  They  therefore  continued  the 
process  of  changing  the  spirit  of  Job's  speeches  as 
best  they  could.  After  the  text  had  been  fixed  by 
the  Jewish  rabbis  of  the  first  century  a.d.,  no 
further  additions  were  permitted,  but  codices  still 
differed  somewhat  in  their  readings,  and  therefore 
the  rabbis  felt  free  to  introduce  marginal  readings 
of  their  own,  when  they  felt  that  in  doing  so  they 
could  obtain  a  reading  more  satisfactory  to  them. 
When  marginal  readings  failed,  a  twist  could  be 
given  by  a  subtle  exegesis  to  passages  in  which  the 
text  was  corrupt — perhaps,  indeed,  in  some  cases 
intentionally  corrupted,  so  as  to  obscure  the  objec- 
tionable original. 

A  single  passage,  thus  given  an  entirely  different 
interpretation  from  the  one  intended  by  the  author, 
would  not  fail  of  effect;  and,  particularly  a  verse  that 


122 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

could  by  its  striking  admission  of  profound  faith 
serve  to  counterbalance  many  other  utterances  cal- 
culated to  arouse  suspicion  of  Job's  faith.  What 
could  be  stronger  than  the  assertion 

"Though  He  slay  me,  yet  will  I  trust  in  Him?" 

A  Job  who  could  say  that  in  the  midst  of  his  sufferings 
was,  forsooth,  the  model  of  piety,  as  he  is  pictured  in 
the  popular  tale.  Accordingly,  up  to  our  own  days 
this  famous  passage  occurs  to  the  average  Bible 
reader  as  characteristic  of  Job.  The  beauty  and 
simplicity  of  the  verse  has  stuck  in  the  popular  mind ; 
and  even  the  critic  must  feel  a  pang  of  regret  at 
being  forced  to  point  out  its  incorrectness.  Job 
ought  to  have  said  it,  but  unfortunately  he  said  just 
the  contrary,  that  though  God  crushes  his  life,  yet 
he  will  maintain  his  innocence  without  fear — "I 
trust  in  Him"  was  a  sentiment  appropriate  to  the 
meek  Job  of  the  folktale,  but  not  to  the  rebellious 
character  in  the  Symposium. 

If  we  assume  that  the  verse  in  its  original  form 
was  regarded  as  a  bold  challenge,  we  can  understand 
why  a  pious  commentator  felt  it  necessary  to  insert, 
as  a  further  means  of  removing  the  unfavorable 
impression,  the  following  verse,  revealed  as  an  inser- 
tion by  its  prose  form: 

"Aye,  this  will  be  my  salvation  that  the  impious  will  not 
come  before  Him."    (13,  16.) 

That  is  precisely  what  Job  in  his  defiant  mood  could 
not  and  would  not  say. 

Our  second  illustration  of  an  intentional  distor- 
tion of  a  crucial  passage  is  the  utterance  of  Job  which 

123 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

has  become  the  most  famous  of  all  in  the  entire  book 
(19,  25-27).  According  to  the  view  still  current,  the 
sufferer  voices  his  firm  faith: 

"I  know  that  my  Redeemer  liveth" 

and  goes  on  to  express  his  belief  that  he  will  yet  be 
justified — according  to  the  older  traditional  inter- 
pretation— "in  the  flesh"  in  a  future  world  when  he 
will  see  God  for  himself,  or  according  to  a  later  though 
also  orthodox  view  "out  of  the  flesh." 

The  entire  passage  has  occasioned  endless  diffi- 
culties to  exegetes,  particularly  v.  26,  which,  as  it 
stands,  is  syntactically  almost  impossible.^*  The 
ordinary  translation: 

"And  when  after  my  skin  this  is  destroyed, 
Then  without  my  flesh  shall  I  see  God  "  ^^ 

cannot  be  correct,  for  the  thought  of  a  meeting  with 
God  after  this  earthly  life  is  over  is  entirely  contrary 
to  the  belief  of  Job  as  set  forth  in  his  speeches.  In 
his  very  first  speech  (chapter  3),  in  which  he  expresses 
the  wish  that  he  had  never  been  bom,  he  speaks  of 
Sheol  as  the  general  gathering  place  where  all  dis- 
tinctions of  rank  disappear  and  where  inactivity 
reigns.  There  is  not  the  slightest  suggestion  of  any 
thought  of  retribution  or  justification.  When  in 
subsequent  speeches  Job  longs  for  death,  it  is  as  a 
release  from  his  sufferings.  He  sighs  for  the  "place 
of  no  return"  (7,  8),  where  he  will  be  safely  hidden — 


*^  See  the  commentaries  of  Budde,  Duhm  and  Barton  for  details  which 
are  too  technical  to  be  introduced  at  this  point. 

8'  So  the  rendering  in  the  translation  of  the  American  Jewish  Publication 
Society,  following  the  AV. 

124 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

even  from  God.  Throughout  the  speeches  ^^  Job's 
point  of  view,  as  is  also  that  of  Koheleth  writing 
about  two  centuries  later,  is  the  older  general  Semitic 
conception  of  continuing  consciousness  after  death, 
but  minus  all  activity  and  without  any  punishment 
for  wrongs  done  in  this  world  or  compensation  for 
endured  sufferings.  If,  therefore,  such  a  doctrine  is 
put  forth  in  the  26th  verse  of  chapter  19,  it  is  only 
because  the  text  has  been  manipulated  in  such  a 
way  by  pious  commentators  as  to  permit  of  such 
an  interpretation  under  the  sway  of  an  ungrammati- 
cal  exegesis.  The  comparison  of  the  Hebrew  text 
with  the  Greek  version  of  this  verse  bears  out  this 
contention.^^  The  Hebrew  of  v.  26  begins  with  "  after 
my  skin"  (or  "under  my  skin,"  which  is  preferable), 
but  the  Greek  version  omits  "after."  To  maintain 
that  this  phrase  means  "after  death"  either  within 
one's  skin  or  out  of  one's  skin  is  quite  impossible. 
Nor  can  the  following  words  be  rendered  "this  is 
destroyed,"  for  the  sufficient  reason  that  in  the 
Hebrew  text  subject  (sing.)  and  verb  (plural)  do  not 
agree.  We  must  take  the  context  as  our  point  of 
departure  for  a  correct  interpretation.  Job  has  asked 
his  tormentors : 

"Why  do  you  pursue  me  like  a  stag  "  ^^ 

since  he  is  so  worn  with  disease  that  his  flesh  would 
not  suffice  for  a  meal.  Realizing  that  his  friends  are 
utterly  lacking   in  sympathy,  he  exclaims   that   if 

^  See  especially  the  passage  14,  7-12.  ^ 

89  See  the  full  discussion  of  the  point  in  Beer,  Text  des  Buches  Hiob,  pp. 
124-126. 

»°  For  this  reading  instead  of  "God,"  see  the  note  to  the  passage. 

I2S 


"THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

only  bis  words  were  hewn  into  the  rock,  like  an  in- 
scription that  would  remain  for  all  times,  he  would 
be  certain  that  a  defender  would  arise  some  day. 
It  is  in  this  sense  that  he  uses  the  old  Semitic  term 
go'el  as  the  one  on  whom  the  obligation  rests  to  seek 
redress  for  a  wrong  done  to  a  kinsman.^^  The  go'el 
is  the  avenger,  the  justifier  the  vindicator — the 
redeemer,  if  you  choose,  but  in  the  literal  sense  as 
the  one  who  redeems  a  wrong  committed.  A  human 
"redeemer"  is  meant,^^  one  who  will  act  as  a  justifier 
or  better  still  as  a  "defender,"  which  would  be  the 
modem  term  corresponding  closest  to  the  ancient 
one.    What  Job  therefore  says  is : 

"Oh  that  my  words  could  be  inscribed,*^ 
Graven  for  all  times  in  the  rock!^* 
Then  I  would  know  that  my  defender  will  arise, 
Even  though  he  should  rise  up  in  the  distant  future." 

This  being  the  thought  demanded  by  the  context, 

what  follows  must  be  in  accord  with  this  hope. 

We  owe  to  Ehrlich  ^^  the  suggestion  that  v.  26 

embodies  the  lament  that  unfortunately  Job  alone 

knows  of  his  sufferings.    They  are  inscribed  merely 

on  his  person, 

"Under  my  skin  this  {i.e.,  the  record  of  his  sufferings)  is 
indited." 


'^  See  further  the  note  on  the  word,  in  the  translation  of  the  chapter. 

"2  Credit  should  be  given  to  a  Jewish  commentator  Saadia,  living  in  the 
ninth  century  a.d.,  who  recognized  that  redeemer  could  not  refer  to  God,  but 
his  is  a  single  voice. 

''  A  commentator  paraphrases  this  by  adding  "Oh  that  one  might  inscribe 
in  a  book,"  to  point  out  that  recording  on  a  soft  material  like  papyrus  or  skin 
had  taken  the  place  of  the  earlier  incision  on  a  hard  substance  like  stone,  metal 
or  rock. 

'^  A  glossator  adds  prosaically  "and  with  an  iron  stylus  and  lead."  See 
further  for  the  justification  of  my  translation,  the  notes  to  19,  23-29. 

"*  Randglojsen,  6,  p.  257. 

126 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

He  alone  sees  the  evidence  of  his  tortures  which  are 
hidden  from  others.     He  will  be  forgotten  and  his 
sufferings  with  him.    Therefore,  he  adds: 
"And  within  my  flesh  do  I  see  these  [words]  ^^ 

The  following  verse  (v.  27)  appears  to  be  an  amplifi- 
cation, added  by  some  commentator  who  felt  the 
obscurity  of  the  passage; 

"I  alone  can  see  it  {i.e.,  the  record  of  tortures)  for  myself; 
Mine  eyes  see  it,  but  not  another's." 

In  justification  of  this  interpretation,  that  Job  is 

here  referring  to  his  sufferings  and  not  to  any  sight 

of  God  after  death,  we  have  another  comment  added; 

"My  reins  are  consumed  within  me"  ^^ 

which  is  merely  another  way  of  saying  that  he  alone 
is  conscious  of  all  that  he  is  forced  to  endure.  His 
friends  are  estranged  from  him.  They  are  blind  to 
his  condition.  They  have  no  understanding  for  his 
state  of  mind.  He  alone  sees  the  record  of  his  endur- 
ance, written  clearly  on  his  own  person — in  the 
emaciated  form  and  in  the  features  distorted  with  pain . 
The  loneliness  in  his  gr|efadds_tO.  the  poignancy 
of  his  martyrdom.  THaFis  the  thought  which  the 
author  wishes  to  bring  out  in  a  passage  that  has  been 
completely  distorted  by  a  deliberate  endeavor  to 
twist  its  meaning,  both  before  the  text  became  fixed 
and  even  after  this  period.  The  passage  in  the  inter- 
pretation given  to  it  by  a  false  exegesis  has  become 
crucial  for  the  traditional  interpretation  of  the  Book 

"«  Which  he  would  like  to  have  inscribed  on  a  rock  so  that  all  may  see 
the  record  for  all  times. 

'^  If  we  follow  the  traditional  translation,  this  line  remains  suspended 
in  the  air. 

127 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

of  Job.  The  utterance  in  the  mouth  of  Job  "  I  know 
that  my  Redeemer  Hveth"  outweighs  the  impression 
made  by  his  bitter  complaints.  By  the  side  of  the 
equally  erroneous  rendering  "Though  He  slay  me, 
yet  "will  I  trust  in  Him"  and  the  assertion  "Even 
now  my  witness  is  in  heaven,"  Job's  faith  in  his 
justification  in  a  future  life — ^for  that  also  was  read 
into  this  passage — appeared  to  be  established  beyond 
all  question.  However  utterances  that  seemed  to 
contradict  these  assurances  of  a  pious  and  trusting 
soul  were  to  be  explained,  here  were  three  utterances 
whose  testimony  seemed  to  be  unimpeachable.  In 
this  way  the  Job  of  the  Symposium  was  brought  into 
accord  with  the  Job  of  the  folktale.  Both  Jobs 
endured  the  test.  Both  remained  pious  and  God- 
fearing under  the  severest  trials  ever  imposed  upon 
man.  The  cause  of  Jewish  orthodoxy  was  saved. 
For  an  uncritical  age  the  three  passages  sufficed  to 
win  the  day  for  the  doctrine  of  Divine  government 
as  taught  by  the  prophets,  and  which  became  the 
corner  stone  of  post-exilic  Judaism. 

It  is  not  a  pleasant  task  for  the  critic  thus  to 
hold  up  as  erroneous  passages  in  the  original  book 
which  have  not  only  made  their  way  into  the  Church 
and  Synagogue  service,  but  which  by  their  beauty 
and  impressiveness  have  been  a  source  of  consolation 
to  countless  myriads  these  two  milleniums,  sustaining 
them  in  sorrow  and  helping  them  to  bear  the  ills  and 
burdens  of  life.  The  critic  must  forego  popularity. 
He  lays  himself  open  to  the  suspicion  of  being  wilfully 
destructive  of  hallowed  traditions  and  of  long-exist- 
ing conventions.     If  he  is  serious  minded — and  the 

128 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

critic  is  not  genuine  unless  he  feels  the  responsibility 
of  his  task — he  may  himself  share  the  regret  of  thus 
being  forced  to  abandon  an  interpretation  of  the 
Book  of  Job  to  which  in  common  with  his  non-critical 
fellows  he  had  clung.  He  must  console  himself  by 
the  deeper  penetration  that  he  gains  into  the  spirit 
of  Biblical  literature  and  the  clearer  view  of  the  evolu- 
tion of  religious  thought  and  practice  among  the 
Hebrews  from  lowly  beginnings  to  an  advanced  stage 
— a  stage  higher  than  that  reached  by  any  other 
people  of  antiquity  and  which  culminated  in  a  tem- 
porary climax  in  the  commingling  of  Hebrew  and 
Greek  spiri^iuality  in  early  Christianity. 

Applying  this  to  the  original  Book  of  Job,  is 
there  not  a  decided  compensation  for  the  abandon- 
ment of  the  traditional  view  of  significant  passages 
that  have  always  been  associated  with  the  popular 
conception  of  the  book,  in  the  recognition  that  the 
main  aim  of  the  writers  of  the  remarkable  Symposium 
was  precisely  to  depict  this  struggle  involved  in  the 
attempt  to  penetrate  the  mystery  by  which  we  are 
surrounded — ^the  mystery  of  all  mysteries,  life  itself 
with  its  burdens  and  sorrows  that  seem  to  be  the 
heritage  of  mankind.'*  The  writers  shrink  from  the 
task  of  solving  the  mystery,  which  they  frankly 
regard  to  be  beyond  human  reach,  but  they  wish  to 
arouse  our  sympathy  for  the  distressed  soul,  for  the 
sufi'erer  who  typifies  for  them  man  universal,  wring- 
ing his  hands  in  anguish  and  crying — why  and  how 
long?  Why — this  burden  of  sorrow  too  heavy  to  be 
bom?  How  long  this  torture,  imposed  for  no  good 
apparent  reason?   Job's  casejj^f  general  application, 

9  129  * 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

,  just  because  it  isjJLXxtreme  instance.  The  problem 
\of  human  suttering  is  intensified  by  the  example  of  a 
really  pious  and  God-fearing  man  doomed  to  pain  and 
misery.  The  original  Book  of  Job  as  a  consistent 
expression  of  the  questioning  spirit  is  a  greater  mas- 
terpiece than  Job  as  an  awkward  combination  of 
contradictory  points  of  view,  brought  about  through 
the  conscious  endeavor  to  change  the  original  drift 
of  the  book. 

IV 

ORTHODOX  SENTIMENTS  PLACED  IN  THE  MOUTH 

OF   JOB 

We  now  approach  the  boldest  stroke  on  the  part 
i  of  those  who  aimed  to  convert  the  original  Book  of 
Job  into  a  support  for  the  orthodox  point  of  view. 
The  confusion  existing  in  the  third  series  of  speeches 
(chapters  25  to  31)  to  which  attention  has  been 
called  ^8  has  long  been  recognized  by  scholars.  Vari- 
ous explanations  have  from  time  to  time  been  brought 
forward  to  account  for  the  brief  speech  of  Bildad 
(chapter  25)  consisting  of  only  six  verses,  and  the  long 
utterances  of  Job,  covering  the  remaining  six  chapters. 
The  absence  of  any  third  speech  of  Zophar  had  also 
been  noticed,  but  only  a  few  even  of  modem  scholars^* 
have   recognized   the  need  of  a  radical  method  in 

'*  Above,  p.  71.  See  the  details  in  the  notes  to  the  translation  of  Chap- 
ters 25-31. 

"  Barton  is  among  those  who  have  realized  the  need  of  a  radical  rear- 
rangement of  the  chapters  in  question.  {Journal  of  Biblical  Literature^  vol.  30, 
pp.  6()-'j7)  though  I  differ  from  his  restoration  in  some  important  points.  Sieg- 
fried in  his  critical  text  of  the  Book  of  Job  (ed.  Haupt,  Leipzig,  1893)  gives  a 
correct  reconstruction  of  chapters  25-26  but  fails  to  reconstruct  Zophar's  speech 
and  introduces  rather  arbitrary  transposition  of  verses  within  chapter  29, 
instead  of  recognizing  that  29,  21-25  ^^  ^^  independent  fragment  which  has  been 
inserted  into  Job's  first  supplementary  speech.  He  also  fails  to  recognize  that 
30,  16-24  is  part  of  Job's  reply  to  Bildad  and  that  31,  35-37  must  represent  the 
close  of  this  reply,  or  possibly  the  close  of  Job's  missing  reply  to  Zophar. 

130 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

getting  order  out  of  a  seemingly  hopeless  chaos. 
Referring  the  reader  to  the  translation  for  the  re- 
arrangement of  these  chapters,  it  is  sufficient  for 
our  i^urposes  here  to  recall  once  more  that  the  six 
chapters  (22  to  27),  represent  further  discussions 
of  the  problem  that  emanate  from  the  same  circle 
which  produced  the  first  two  series  of  speeches. 

Chapters  22  to  24,  containing  a  speech  of  Eliphaz 
and  Job's  reply,  add  nothing  to  the  arguments  already 
presented  by  both  sides,  except  the  direct  charge  of 
lack  of  charity  and  mercy  levelled  at  Job  and  for 
which  his  sufi'erings,  it  is  claimed,  are  a  just  retri- 
bution.   The  absurdity  of  Eliphaz  saying  to  Job: 

f"  Surely,  thy  wickedness  must  be  great, 
And  there  can  be  no  end  to  thy  iniquities."    (22,  5.) 

is  SO  patent  that  one  can  only  explain  the  introduction 
as  deliberate,  in  order  to  put  a  weapon  into  the  hands 
of  Job  which  he  wields  with  force  in  his  reply.  Eliphaz 
then  once  more  unrolls  the  false  picture  of  the  punish- 
ment of  the  wicked  (verses  15-20)  and,  again  as  in 
previous  speeches,  calls  upon  Job  to  return  to  God 
and  all  will  be  well.  Job  in  reply  (chapter  23)  once 
more  brings  forth  his  plea  that  he  cannot  bring  his 
case  before  God,  adding  with  special  emphasis  that 
he  cannot  find  God,  no  matter  how  intensely  he 
searches  for  Him.  In  chapter  24,  he  sets  forth  in 
detail  all  the  crimes  committed  by  the  wicked.  In 
powerful  language,  he  describes  the  oppression  and 
misery  of  the  poor,  forced  to  go  about  naked,  drenched 
by  the  rain  and  clinging  to  rocks  for  shelter,  as  the 
result  of  the   ruthlessness   against  which  they  are 

131 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

powerless.  All  this  is  clearly  an  amplification  of  what 
Job  has  already  dwelt  upon  in  chapter  21.  There 
is  no  reply  in  these  two  chapters  to  Eliphaz  and  it  is, 
therefore,  evident  that  the  speech  of  EHphaz  is,  as 
already  suggested,  another  draft  of  the  argument  of 
this  speaker  put  forth  in  previous  speeches,  w^hile 
Job's  speech  is  similarly  an  imitation  and  amplifica- 
tion of  former  utterances — likewise  an  independent 
draft  by  some  hand  which  tried  to  set  forth  what  Job 
might  have  said. 

Suddenly,  however,  we  find  Job  speaking  as  the 
friends  do.  Instead  of  picturing  the  success  of  the 
wiles  of  the  wicked  as  he  did  in  chapter  21,  we  find 
him  foretelling  their  doom.  Beginning  with  v.  18 
of  chapter  24  in  which  a  pious  commentator  inserts 
the  reflection: 

"Their  portion  is  cursed  in  the  earth." 
we  find  Job  telling  us  of  the  wicked  (v.  20) : 

"The  womb  forgets  him; 
\     Worms  feed  (?)  on  him. 
\    He  is  no  longer  remembered; 
Iniquity  is  crushed  like  a  tree," 

and  again  v.  24: 

"They  are  exalted  for  a  while  and  brought  low; 
And  as  the  tips  of  the  grain  they  wither." 

Such  reflections,  entirely  contradicting  what  Job 
had  previously  said,  are  interspersed  in  this  supple- 
mentary speech  with  the  deliberate  intent  of  taking 
off  the  edge  of  the  skepticism  and  cynicism  in  Job's 
utterances.    The  closing  verse  of  the  chapter: 

"If  it  is  not  so,  who  will  prove  me  to  be  a  liar. 
And  nullify  my  speech?" 

132 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

would  only  be  in  place  if  Job  were  denouncing  the 
success  of  the  wicked.  This  verse  clinches  the  argu- 
ment in  favor  of  v.  i8^  20  and  24  as  insertions  by  a 
pious  commentator. 

But  those  interested  in  toning  down  the  skepti- 
cal implications  in  Job's  speeches  did  not  stop  short 
here  in  their  endeavor  to  change  the  original  character 
of  the  book.  In  chapter  27,  some  one  was  bold 
enough  to  place  a  more  detailed  description  (27,  7-23) 
of  the  awful  doom  in  store  for  the  evildoer  into  the 
mouth  of  Job.  It  is  manifestly  inconceivable  that 
the  Job  who  speaks  so  bitterly  in  chapter  22  of  the 
way  in  which  evildoers  escape  the  consequences  of 
their  deeds  should  now  say  of  the  wicked : 

"Though  he  heap  up  silver  as  dust, 

And  provide  garments  as  clay; 

He  may  provide,  but  the  righteous  will  put  on, 

And  the  mnocent  shall  divide  the  silver. 
♦         ♦         *         ♦         ♦         * 

He  lies  down  rich,  but  it  will  not  endure; 

He  opens  his  eyes,  and  it  is  gone. 

Terrors  overtake  him  by  day; 

The  tempest  removes  him  by  night."  (27,  16-20.) 

Job  is  actually  represented  as  quoting  from  a 
speech  of  Zophar  (20,  29) : 

"Such  is  the  portion  of  the  wicked  from  God, 
And  the  heritage  of  the  oppressors  from  Shaddai."   (27,  13.) 

What  has  happened.'^  Clearly,  a  portion  of  a  third 
speech  of  Zophar — in  imitation  of  his  second  one — 
has  been  deliberately  added  to  27,  1-6  which  is  a 
genuine  utterance  of  Job,  protesting  his  innocence 
and  which  is  entirely  out  of  keeping  with  27,  7-23. 
Not   content  with   this,  some  other   commentator, 

133 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

intent  upon  representing  Job  as  God-fearing  and 
acknowledging  the  merciful  providence  of  God,  took 
a  piece  of  Bildad's  third  speech  26,  5-14,  detached 
it  from  its  connection  (25,  1-6)  and  tacked  it  on  to 
the  introduction  of  Job's  answer  to  Bildad  (26, 1-4.)^°° 
There  is  no  connection  whatsoever  between  Job's 
rebuke  of  his  friends  /26,_i-4)  and  the  sudden  transi- 
tion to  the  powgf  and  providence  of  God  (26,  5-14) 
beginning : 

"The  shades  below  are  in  terror; 
1  The  waters  and  their  inhabitants" 

and  ending  with : 

"These  are  but  the  outskirts  of  his  ways, 
And  a  mere  whisper  that  penetrates  to  us." 

It  is  claimed  by  some  scholars  that  this  confusion 
between  Job's  utterances  and  those  of  his  friends  is 
accidental,  due  to  a  confusion  of  separate  leaves  of  a 
codex.  This  can  hardly  be,  for  it  is  difficult  to  see 
how  it  could  happen  accidentally  that  by  such  con- 
fusion only  orthodox  sentiments  should  have  been 
put  into  the  mouth  of  Job.  At  all  events,  exegetes 
permitted  the  confusion  to  remain  to  the  threshold 
of  modem  Biblical  study,  and  even  at  the  present 
time  there  are  defenders  of  the  present  arrangement 
who  point  to  it  in  their  desperate  effort  to  prove  that 
the  original  Book  of  Job  ended  in  an  orthodox  strain. 
Our  modem  translators  of  the  Bible  have  done 
nothing  to  enlighten  the  lay  reader  as  to  the  real 
situation.    Translations  of  the  Book  of  Job  continue 

i**ThIs  answer  of  Job  thus  consists  of  26, 1-4,  followed  by  27,  2-6  and  30, 
16-24,  with  31,  35-37  as  the  probable  conclusion. 

134 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

to  be  printed  in  strict  obedience  to  the  indications 

of  the  Hebrew  text,  and  the  reader  is  left  to  solve  the 

^enigma  as  best  he  can,  how  Job  can  say  one  thing  in 

/bne  place  and  directly  contradict  himself  in  another. 

Surely,  respect  for  the  Bible  is  not  increased  by  thus 

hiding  the  truth. 

V 

THE  "SEARCH  FOR  WISDOM" 

The  natural  upshot,  however,  of  the  manifest 
confusion  was  to  strengthen  the  case  for  Job's  ortho- 
doxy. The  pious  commentators  and  editors  secured 
the  triumph  for  which  they  yearned,  but  at  the  ex- 
rpense  of  eschewing  criticism  and  of  producing  a  work 
(^1  full  of  contradictions.  The  same  spirit  of  saving 
the  book  for  orthodoxy  which  prompted  the  in- 
sertion of  pious  reflections  to  counterbalance  Job 's 
audacious  charges  and  indictments,  which  led  to 
the  distortion  of  passages  from  their  original  mean- 
ing and  which  prompted  later  editors  deliberately 
to  remove  sections  from  speeches  of  one  of  the 
friends  and  give  them  to  Job,  also  superinduced  the 
insertion  of  chapter  28 — the  "Search  for  Wisdom" 
which  is  without  any  connection  whatsoever  with  the 
Symposium,  and  without  any  bearings  on  the  argu- 
ments of  the  friends  of  Job.  Superb  in  its  diction  and 
of  the  highest  order  of  literary  excellence,  this  descrip- 
tion of  the  search  for  wisdom  which  is  hidden  from 
man  betrays  the  same  point  of  view  as  that  found  in 
the  first  nine  chapters  of  Proverbs,  constituting  the 
first  main  division  of  this  book.^^^    It  reflects  a  highly 

1°^  Though  not  the  oldest  section.    See  Toy,  Critical  and  Exegetical  Com- 
rruntary  on  the  Book  of  Proverbs,  p.  xviii  seq. 

135 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

intellectual  age  in  which  knowledge  was  exalted  above 
all  other  possessions,  but  an  age  which  had  already 
begun  to  experience  the  disappointment  due  to  the 

\    impossibility  of  solving  through  knowledge  the  mysr 

^^  tery  by  which  man  is  surrounded. 

The  writer  of  this  chapter   (or  possibly  some 
later  amplifier)  ^^^   agrees  with  Proverbs  in  placing 
wisdom  above  all  treasures,  but  he  is  an  agnostic 
when  it  comes  to  securing  wisdom. 
"Wisdom  whence  cometh  she?" 

rings  as  a  refrain  through  the  chapter.  The  answer  to 
the  question  is  impressive  but  discouraging. 

"God  knows  the  way  to  her; 
And  He  knows  her  place."    (28,  23.) 

God — but  not  man.  And  then  in  a  passage  of  unsur- 
passed eloquence,  which  Hkewise  finds  a  parallel  in 
Proverbs  8,  22-30,  the  writer  exclaims  that  when  God 
created  the  world; 

"When  He  gave  a  weight  for  the  wind, 
And  measured  out  the  waters; 
When  He  assigned  a  law  for  the  rain, 
And  a  path  for  the  thunderbolt; 
He  saw  her  and  proclaimed  her; 
Established  her,  aye,  singled  her  out."     (28,  25-27.) 

Our  author  furnishes,  as  it  were,  a  commentary 

to  the  original  Book  of  Job  by  suggesting  the  reason 

for  the  unsatisfactory  conclusion  which  the  author 

,     of  Job   reaches.     Wisdom  is  with  God — not  with 

\   man!    How,  then,  can  man  hope  to  understand  the 

v^ways  of  God  ?    Orthodox  circles,  ignoring  the  agnostic 

^°*  Verses  15-19  of  the  chapter  may  be  later  additions  taken  over  from 
Proverbs  3,  14-15;  8,  11  and  18-19.    See  the  notes  to  the  translation. 

156 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

implications  of  the  chapter,  would  welcome  this  pro- 
duction as  a  strong  support  for  their  cause.  They 
would  be  only  too  eager  to  have  Job  confess  that  man 
cannot  by  human  wisdom  penetrate  the  secrets  of 
God's  universe,  created  by  Him  through  His  wisdom 
which  God  alone  can  "proclaim  and  single  out."  It 
was,  therefore,  an  editor  acting  in  the  interest  of 
orthodoxy  who  attached  this  splendid  bit  of  litera- 
ture at  the  close  of  the  supplemental  third  series  of 
speeches  to  form  an  appropriate  finale  to  the  Sym- 
posium, before  another  supplement,  consisting  of  the 
two  speeches  of  Job  in  chapters  29-31,  was  added. 
By  the  addition  of  the  little  word  "for"  at  the  begin- 
ning of  chapter  28,  the  production  was  made  to 
appear  to  be  a  continuation  of  the  orthodox  senti- 
ments concerning  the  punishment  of  the  wicked, 
deliberately  put  into  the  mouth  of  Job  (27,  7-23), 
though,  as  we  have  seen,  they  originally  formed  part 
of  Zophar's  third  speech. 

VI 
THE  VIRTUES  OF  JOB 

The  further  supplement  to  the  original  book, 
embodied  in  chapters  29  to  31  is  from  the  literary 
point  of  view  most  impressive,  even  though  the 
chapters  strike  a  note  entirely  inconsistent  with  Job 
as  presented  in  the  three  series  of  speeches.  In  these 
series.  Job  complains  of  his  condition  but  never 
boasts  of  his  virtues.  Not  so  chapters  29-3 1  covering 
two  independent  speeches  ^^^  plus  a  supplement  to 

^^  For  the  arrangement  of  these  two  speeches,  see  the  notes  to  the 
translation  of  Chapters  25-31. 

137 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

the  first,^°*  one  detailing  in  a  direct  manner  his 
virtuous  conduct  and  the  esteem  in  which  as  a  con- 
sequence he  was  held,  the  other  setting  forth  in  equal 
detail  what  he  avoided  doing.  One  would  prefer  to 
have  had  others  say  of  Job  that  he  delivered  the  poor 
and  rejoiced  the  heart  of  the  widow,  that  he  clothed 
himself  in  righteousness  and  put  on  justice  as  a 
diadem  (29,  12-14).  The  impression  one  receives 
of  Job  in  the  Symposium  is  spoiled  by  having  him 
sing  his  own  praises: 

"Eyes  was  I  to  the  blind; 
And  feet  to  the  lame. 
A  father  I  to  the  needy; 
And  I  searched  out  the  cause  of  the  unknown."   (29,  15-16.) 

It  is  in  equally  poor  taste  to  find  him  in  the 
second  speech  commending  himself  in  somewhat 
unctuous  fashion  for  keeping  himself  free  from  viola- 
tion of  a  virgin  and  from  adultery.  As  he  proceeds 
with  the  long  catalogue  of  vices  and  wrongs  which 
he  avoided,  the  tone  becomes  more  and  more  patron- 
izing, at  times  offensively  so.  The  self-praise  reaches 
its  climax  of  self-satisfaction  in  a  little  section  (31, 
5-8)  which  may  be  an  independent  fragment  that 
has  slipped  in  at  an  inappropriate  place. 

"If  I  had  ever  followed  falseness, 
And  my  foot  had  hastened  to  deceit; 
If  my  step  had  turned  out  of  the  right  path, 
And  my  mind  had  followed  after  my  eyes; 
Let  me  sow  and  another  eat, 
And  let  my  produce  be  rooted  out." 

The  two  speeches  were,  no  doubt,  added  to 
heighten  our  sympathy  with  Job,  but  it  is  difficult 

iM  29, 21-25. 

138 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

to  suppose  that  the  writers  of  the  original  Book  of 
Job  should  have  allowed  their  hero  thus  to  lay  him- 
self open  to  the  charge  of  pharisaical  self-esteem  and 
smug  self-glorification.  This  picture  of  the  self- 
satisfied  boastful  Job  is  due  to  others  who  did  not 
in  their  imagination  pass  through  Job's  experiences. 
Those  who  wrote  those  speeches  approach  the  sub- 
ject from  the  outside.  They  give  us  a  view  of  Job 
as  he  must  have  appeared  to  others,  though  the 
picture  is  spoiled  by  having  Job  draw  it  himself. 
The  writers  in  the  Symposium  proper  approach  the 
subject  from  the  inside.  They  feel  for  Job  so  intensely 
that  they  identify  themselves  with  their  subject. 
They  make  Job  speak  as  we  feel  that  the  real  and 
human  Job  must  have  spoken.  Not  so  with  the  supple- 
mentary speeches  which  are  in  the  nature  of  literary  ex- 
ercises, superb  and  admirable  as  such,  but  lacking  the 
fervor  and  strength  of  the  preceding  eight  speeches. 
For  those,  however,  who  were  intent  upon  mak- 
ing the  Book  of  Job  appear  to  be  a  support  for  ortho- 
doxy these  added  chapters  accomplished  the  object 
which  they  had  in  view.  If  the  book  was  to  make  its 
appeal  as  a  production  in  accord  with  the  prevailing 
orthodoxy,  it  was  necessary  to  leave  no  question  in  the 
minds  of  any  that  Job  not  only  was  supremely  virtu- 
ous and  pious  as  in  the  folktale,  but  remained  so 
even  after  his  discussion  with  his  friends.  How  could 
this  better  be  done  than  by  attaching  to  the  Sympo- 
sium such  a  detailed  picture  of  all  the  generous  deeds 
of  the  hero,  and  then  supplement  this  by  an  equally 
detailed  picture  of  all  the  temptations  that  he  re- 
sisted ?   Here  was  testimony  out  of  Job's  own  mouth, 

139 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

which  none  could  gainsay;  and  in  order  to  heighten 
the  impression  of  the  genuineness  of  these  speeches 
a  compiler  inserted  a  section  (30,  16-24)  which  is 
precisely  in  the  style  of  the  Job  of  the  Symposium 
proper,  and  as  a  matter  of  fact  has  been  removed 
from  its  correct  place  (after  27,  2-6),^°^  for  the  very 
purpose  of  creating  the  impression  that  these  three 
chapters  in  their  entirety  belong  to  the  Symposium. 

VII 

THE  TWO  APPENDICES  AS  THE   COPING  TO    THE 

STRUCTURE  OF  JEWISH  ORTHODOXY 

To  complete  the  task  of  converting  an  originally 
skeptical  book  into  a  bulwark  of  orthodoxy,  the  two 
appendices  were  added  to  the  enlarged  Book  of  Job, 
the  one  embodying  the  four  speeches  put  into  the 
mouth  of  a  fifth  personage  who  represents  himself  as 
a  defender  of  the  faith  of  better  calibre  than  the  three 
friends,  the  other  in  the  form  of  two  speeches  assigned 
to  God  himself.  The  two  features  that  stand  out 
preeminently  in  these  appendices,  which,  it  is  plaus- 
ible to  assume,  were  added  at  about  300  b.c,  are  in 
the  first  place,  the  need  that  was  felt  by  the  circles 
of  staunch  believers  to  make  a  further  defense  of  the 
orthodox  position,  and  secondly,  the  scale  on  which 
this  defense  was  carried  out. 

The  Symposium  must  have  fallen  like  a  bomb- 
shell into  the  orthodox  camp,  the  eilect  of  which  was 
all  the  greater  because  the  book  was  not  the  product 
of  a  single  mind  as  a  book  is  in  our  days,  but  repre- 
sents   the   combined   efi"ort  of  a    circle   that,   even 

"*  See  further  the  notes  to  the  translation  of  chapters  25-31. 

140 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

though  it  may  not  have  been  excessively  large,  was 
powerful  because  it  contained  those  who  were  deter- 
mined to  think  for  themselves  and  who  were  unwilling 
to  accept  ready-made  opinions  without  questioning 
their  basis.     "He  thinks  too  much,"  says  Caesar,i<^® 
voicing  his  suspicion  of  Cassius.     "Such  men  are 
dangerous."     It  is  not  necessary  to  go  so  far  as  to 
assume  that  the  circle  which  produced  the  Book  of 
Job  was  regarded  as  dangerous  to  the  prevailing 
faith,  but  the  Symposium  must  at  all  events  have 
created  a  feeling  of  discomfort  among  those  who  in 
their  honest  zeal  for  the  cause  of  orthodoxy  felt  that 
the  movement  in  the  direction  of  free  thought  must 
be  checked  by  a  reinforcement  of  the  orthodox  point 
of  view.     The  Symposium  was  a  symptom  of  the 
intellectual  unrest  which  at  the  close  of  the  third 
century  found  a  further  and  still  more  objectionable 
expression  in  the  cynicism  of  the  writer  who  hid  his 
personality  beneath  the  nom  de  plume  of  Koheleth.^^^ 
It  is  quite  possible  that  other  books  of  the  same  cali- 
bre as  Job  and  Koheleth  were  produced  that  have 
not  come  down  to  us,  because  they  failed  to  be  re- 
ceived into  the  sacred  canon.    However  this  may  be, 
these  two  productions  suffice  as  evidence  of  a  reac- 
tion that  set  in  towards  the  close  of  the  fifth  century 
against  the  fundamental  assumptions  that  had  grown 
up  around  the  teachings  of  the  pre-exilic  and  post- 
exilic  prophets.     The  upholders  of  orthodoxy  were 
challenged  to  prove  their  position,  and  we  may  see 
in  the  speeches  of  Elihu  and  in  those  placed  in  the 
mouth  of  God  the  answer  to  this  challenge. 

106  Act  I,  2,  215.  *"  See  A  Gentle  Cynic,  page  62  seq. 

141 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

The  circumstan'ce  that  four  separate  speeches  of 
Elihu  were  embodied,  each,  as  we  have  seen,  of  inde- 
pendent origin,  may  be  taken  as  a  further  indication 
of  the  seriousness  with  which  the  situation  was  viewed. 
Their  accumulative  weight,  it  was  hoped,  would 
effectually  silence  all  doubters  in  a  just  and  merciful 
Providence.  The  editorial  introductions  to  the 
speeches  of  Elihu  ^^^  are  of  special  interest  in  this 
connection,  because  of  the  admission  involved  that 
the  arguments  of  the  three  friends  as  representative  of 
Jewish  orthodoxy  were  not  regarded  as  convincing. 
Had  it  been  possible  to  ignore  the  original  book,  we 
may  feel  quite  sure  that  this  would  have  been  done, 
just  as  the  original  words  of  Koheleth  would  have 
been  passed  over  in  silence  had  they  not  made  too 
profound  an  impression  to  admit  of  such  a  procedure. 

A  still  bolder  stroke  was  represented  by  the  intro- 
duction of  God  himself  to  pronounce,  through  a  series 
of  magnificent  poems,  the  final  verdict  on  the  discus- 
sion. We  have  seen  that  these  poems  are  in  reality 
productions  of  poets  stirred  by  the  love  of  nature  and 
inspired  by  the  contemplation  of  marvels  in  animal 
life.  The  editorial  work  of  those  who  utilized  them 
for  the  reinforcement  of  orthodoxy  was  limited  to  the 
collection  of  the  poems,  to  the  two  poetic  epilogues 
attached  and  to  the  introductory  sentences  repre- 
senting the  poems  as  two  speeches  addressed  by  God 
to  Job,  though  we  have  seen  that  there  is  nothing 
in  the  poems  themselves  to  suggest  such  an  address. 
Here  again  the  circumstance  that  it  was  thought 

^^  Sec  above,  page  77  seq. 

142 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

necessary  thus   to   introduce   Yahweh   in  order  to 
reduce  Job  to  humble  silence  and  to  bring  him  to  a 
\^  proper  state  of  repentance  for  his  audacious  utter- 
\ances  in  the  Symposium  is  the  significant  feature. 
A  further  decisive  blow  had  to  be  struck  at  the  grow- 
ing menace  of  independent  thought  away  from  con- 
ventional lines;  and  since  Elihu  begins  his  fourth 
speech  by  the  assertion  that  there  are  "still  things 
to  be  said  for  God,"  it  was  a  natural  device  to  supple- 
ment the  discourses  of  Elihu  by  summoning,  as  it 
were,  God  himself  to  take  part  in  the  discussion. 
.  This    assumes    that    the    nature    poems    were 

1  attached  to  the  Book  of  Job  after  the  speeches  of 
I \ Elihu.  Strangely  enough  most  scholars,  while  recog- 
nizing the  independent  character  of  the  Elihu  chap- 
ters, are  yet  disposed  to  regard  chapters  38-41  as  an 
integral  part  of  the  book,  which  would  reverse  the 
position  here  taken  and  make  the  inserted  speeches 
of  Elihu  a  later  production  than  the  closing  four 
chapters.  The  weakness  of  this  vi'ew  lies  in  its  failure 
to  assign  a  good  reason  for  introducing  six  chapters 
within  what  would  be  the  body  of  the  book,  the  ortho- 
doxy of  which,  moreover,  would  have  been  sufficiently 
assured  by  the  introduction  of  Yahweh  himself  as  a 
participant  in  the  Symposium.  After  Yahweh  has 
spoken,  Elihu  is  an  entirely  superfluous  personage. 
Moreover,  the  view  fails  to  take  into  account  the 
sharp  demarcation  between  the  trend  of  the  Sym- 
posium and  that  of  chapters  38-41.  The  reader  who 
has  followed  my  exposition  will  be  able  to  see  for 
himself  how  inconceivable  it  is  that  one  writer  or  one 
group  of  writers  belonging  to  the  same  circle  should 

143 


<rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

have  produced  the  Symposium,  and  then  also  thought 
of  assigning  to  God  the  nature  poems  in  defense  of 
Jewish  orthodoxy.  We  fail  to  understand  the  book 
unless  we  recognize  the  three  different  strata  of  which 
it  is  formed;  and  the  most  natural  sequence  for  these 
strata  is  to  assume  that  the  present  arrangement 
follows  the  order  of  growth  of  the  original  draft  of  the 
book  to  its  present  complete  form.^°^ 

Now  the  two  appendices  constitute  more  than 
one-third  of  the  entire  book.  An  addition  on  so  large 
a  scale,  while  not  unusual  in  the  case  of  literary  pro- 
ductions of  the  ancient  Orient  subject  to  steady 
growth,  is  yet  significant  in  this  instance  because  the 
branches  grafted  on  are  so  completely  at  variance 
with  the  character  of  the  original  trunk.  The  speeches 
of  Elihu,  though  bringing  forth  new  arguments  in 
reply  to  Job's  disturbing  contentions,  could  not  have 
been  regarded  as  completely  satisfactory.  The  prob- 
lem continued  to  occupy  the  minds  of  believers  and 
doubters  alike,  and  we  must  look  upon  the  device  of 
placing  the  collection  of  nature  poems  in  the  mouth 
of  Yahweh  and  of  adding  them  as  a  last  word  on  the 
vital  subject  as  further  evidence  of  the  need  for  a 
defense  of  the  orthodox  position. 

The  supplements  to  the  Symposium  and  the  two 
appendices  saved  the  original  production  from  being 
lost,  for  the  Symposium  by  itself  would  never  have 
been  included  in  the  sacred  canon,  as  little  as  the 
original  "Words  of  Koheleth"  would  have  secured 

^^  One  might  also  urge  that  the  insertion  of  the  words  "out  of  the  storm" 
in  the  heading  to  chapter  38  which  is  (repeated  in  40,  6),  clearly  suggested  by 
the  storm  poem  inserted  in  chapters  36-37  (see  above,  p.  79),  assumes  the 
existence  of  the  Elihu  speeches  at  the  time  when  the  nature  poems  were  added 
as  the  third  stratum. 

144 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

admittance.  The  new  Job  led  to  the  preservation  of 
the  old  Job,  as  a  modified  Koheleth,  obscuring  its 
irreverent  cynicism,  rescued  the  genuine  Koheleth 
from  probable  oblivion.^^^  We  must,  therefore,  feel 
grateful  to  those  who  thus  labored  to  change  the 
original  trend  of  the  book,  even  though  they  also 
hoped  that  the  apparent  unity  given  to  the  elaborate 
compilation  might  remain  unquestioned  for  all  times. 
Nor  should  we  after  completing  our  task  of  undoing 
the  work  of  zealots,  exchange  our  gratitude  for  con- 
demnation of  the  uncritical  spirit  betrayed  by  those 
who  thus  tried  to  cover  the  naked  skepticism  of  the 
original  book  with  an  orthodox  garb.  An  age  that 
has  not  developed  the  full  sense  of  individual  author- 
ship necessarily  lacks  the  critical  attitude  towards 
a  literary  production.  We  can  see  the  intent  in  the 
manipulations  to  which  the  text  was  subjected,  but 
those  who  were  engaged  in  the  endeavor  saw  only  a 
perfectly  obvious  method  of  furnishing  their  super- 
imposed interpretation  of  a  problem  that  was  left  in 
an  unsatisfactory  state  by  predecessors  who  had 
tried  their  hand  at  solving  it;  and  they  no  doubt 
sincerely  believed  that  they  were  improving  the 
original  production.  What  we  would  differentiate 
as  text  and  commentary,  as  argument  and  answer, 
as  original  draft  and  later  amplification,  are,  in  an 
ancient  composition,  produced  at  a  time  when  a 
literary  product  was  regarded  as  common  property 
to  be  modified  and  enlarged  at  will,  thrown  together. 
When  in  the  course  of  such  literary  process  contra- 
dictions result  that  are  too  glaring  to  be  overlooked, 

"0  See  A  Gentle  Cynic,  p.  119. 

10  145 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

the  difficulties  are  overcome  in  a  naive  but  sincere 
spirit  by  balancing  an  objectionable  utterance  with 
a  pious  reflection  deliberately  introduced. 

The  naivete  which  marks  what  we  of  a  modern 
day  would  regard  as  unwarranted  interference  with 
a  literary  work  is  further  illustrated  by  the  additions 
through  later  editors  and  ampHfiers  even  in  these  two 
appendices.  In  chapters  32-42  we  likewise  encounter 
superfluous  lines,  pointing  to  variants,  comments  or 
deliberate  additions.  There  are  reflections  by  pious 
commentators,  desirous  of  enforcing  the  orthodox 
teachings  of  Elihu,  and  likewise  numerous  passages 
the  text  of  which  needs  to  be  corrected  in  order  to 
yield  an  intelligible  sense  and  sequence. ^^^  Without 
bewildering  the  reader  with  more  examples,  suffice 
it  to  say  that  the  endeavor  was  consistently  made 
/  throughout  the  entire  book  to  create  the  impression 
that  despite  the  many  audacious  sentiments  of  Job 
remaining  in  the  original  portion,  the  trend  of  the 
book  was  towards  orthodoxy,  that  the  skepticism 
was  on  the  surface,  whereas  its  deeper  aim  was  to 
furnish  a  support  for  the  conventional  and  generally 
accepted  beliefs  of  the  day. 

It  may  well  seem  startling  to  the  ordinary  reader, 
accustomed  to  look  upon  the  Book  of  Job  as  a  unity, 
an  authentic  composition  of  one  writer,  which  is  sup- 
posed to  have  come  down  to  us  in  the  form  given  to 
it  by  this  writer,  to  be  asked  to  cast  all  preconceived 
views  aside  and  to  regard  the  book  from  an  entirely 
different  angle,  as  a  gradual  growth  with  an  original 

*"A11  such  passages  as  well  as  all  additions  will  be  indicated  in  each 
instance  in  the  notes  attached  to  the  translation. 

146 


f 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

trunk  to  which  branches  were  added  from  time  to 
time;  and  in  addition  to  this  to  cut  out  hundreds  of 
comments,  variants  and  glosses  and  superfluous  lines. 
It  is  not  surprising  to  find  such  a  demand,  when  first 
made,  arousing  a  feeHng  akin  to  resentment.  The 
alternative,  however,  would  be  to  accept  the  book  as 
a  tissue  of  contradictions,  full  of  abrupt  transitions, 
lacking  an  orderly  arrangement  of  themes,  to  an 
extent  that  would  reflect  most  seriously  on  the  men- 
tality of  those  who  could  produce  such  a  confusing 
work.  In  short,  we  have  the  choice  on  the  one  hand 
between  clinging  to  the  traditional  view  of  the  book 
which  has  been  shown  to  be  untenable,  which  is 
contrary  to  the  literary  method  of  antiquity,  which 
rests  on  a  corrupt  text  and  leads  to  translations  of 
crucial  passages  and  many  hundreds  of  other  passages 
that  cannot  endure  the  test  of  criticism,  and  on  the 
other  hand  in  being  willing  to  revise  our  attitude 
towards  the  book  on  the  basis  of  a  corrected  and 
rearranged  text,  freed  from  all  subsequent  additions, 
in  the  hope  of  thus  obtaining  a  clear  in  place  of  a 

1  hopelessly  confused  view  of  one  of  the  world's  master- 
pieces of  literature.  The  realization  of  this  hope 
must  be  the  final  test  for  the  justification  of  the  appli- 
cation of  the  critical  method  to  the  study  of  the 
Book  of  Job. 

In  assuming  that  the  book  as  we  have  it  has 

/passed  through  many  hands,  each  one  of  which  left 

I  its  trace  upon  it,  we  recognize  that  the  book  itself 

I  had  an  eventful  history  before  it  received  its  final 

form.     The  critical  method  asserts  that  we  cannot 

understand  the  book  without  following  its  history. 

147 


CHAPTER  V 

THE  BOOK  OF  JOB  AS  PHILOSOPHY  AND 
AS  LITERATURE 

I 
THE  INSOLUBLE  PROBLEM 

If,  as  I  have  tried  to  show  elsewhere,"^  we  must 
picture  the  author  of  the  original  "Words  of  Kohe- 
leth"  as  an  old  man  who  has  advanced  to  old  age 
gracefully,  for  whom  the  storms  of  life  are  over  and 
who  has  become  mellow  by  his  varied  experiences, 
disposed  to  take  things  as  they  are  in  this  world  not 
too  seriously,  we  must  imagine  the  group  who  first 
conceived  of  the  idea  to  give  a  written  form  to  the 
oral  discussions  on  the  problem  of  human  suffering 
as  they  took  place  in  the  circle  to  which  they  belonged, 
as  intensely  serious,  rather  inclined  to  austerity,  and 
of  a  rebellious  disposition  as  they  contemplated  the 
hardships  frequently  endured  by  those  who  lead  pure 
and  decent  lives,  as  against  the  better  fortune  of 
those  who  were  callous  to  ethical  standards.  The 
group  would  correspond  to  a  circle  of  independent 
thinkers  at  the  present  time,  fearless  and  independent 
but  whose  spirit  while  rebellious  would  not  necessarily 
be  destructive.  If  they  oppose  conventional  beliefs 
it  is  because  they  are  earnestly  seeking  for  a  firm 
foundation  for  their  faith  in  a  guiding  Providence 

112  A  Gentle  Cynic,  p.  194. 

148 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

,which  they  have  not  abandoned.  They  are  seekers 
after  truth  and  as  such  we  must  picture  them — strug- 
gling souls  groping  for  the  light. 

Only  men  in  the  vigor  of  life,  still  engaged  in  the 
struggle  from  which  few  escape,  could  express  them- 
I  selves  so  forcibly,  so  pathetically,  aye,  so  violently 
as  in  the  speeches  put  by  them  in  the  mouth  of  Job. 
Old  men  do  not  talk  that  way.  The  writer  of  the 
original  draft  of  Job  and  his  successors  hold  the 
mirror  up  to  nature  and  paint  the  reflection  in  bold 
colors.  They  have  the  courage  to  look  at  things  as 
they  are.  At  the  same  time,  while  their  outlook  on 
life  is  anything  but  cheerful,  it  would  hardly  be  fair 
to  call  them  pessimists.  That  overworked  term  is 
not  quite  appropriate,  for  the  pessimist  suggests  a 
sullen  and  bitterly  resigned  thinker,  whose  personal 
disappointments  make  him  incline  towards  cynicism. 

f  There  is  scarcely  a  trace  of  cynicism  in  the  original 
Book  of  Job,  which  in  this  respect  presents  such  a 
contrast  to  Koheleth,  albeit  that  the  cynicism  of  the 
latter  is  gentle  and  free  from  the  sting  which  fre- 
quently accompanies  the  cynical  attitude.  Koheleth, 
the  old  man,  smiles  as  he  thinks  of  this  topsy-turvy 
world.  The  writers  in  Job,  young  and  impatient, 
frown;  and  the  frown  grows  deeper  as  they  proceed 
in  their  ungrateful  task  of  showing  the  untenability 
of  the  current  views  regarding  the  rule  in  this  world 
of  a  merciful  and  just  Providence.  "Why  worry?" 
asks  Koheleth.  Take  things  as  they  are.  You  can- 
not improve  them.  Try  to  get  as  much  joy  out  of 
life  as  you  can  and  in  order  not  to  grow  weary  of 
mere  enjoyment,  work  so  that  joy  may  be  your  recrea- 

149 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

tion  from  your  toil.  Don't  imagine  that  everything 
is  going  to  perdition,  for  things  are  not  worse  than 
they  were;  they  were  always  bad.  Such  is  not  the 
mood  of  the  writers  in  Job.  They  are  terribly  in 
earnest,  but  always  out  of  intense  sympathy  with 
the  sad  lot  of  mankind  in  being  condemned  to  suffer 
without  cause.  If  at  times  one  of  the  group  seems  to 
clinch  his  fist  in  bitter  revolt  against  things  as  they 
are,  it  is  a  bitterness  born  of  a  profound  realization 
of  the  tragedy  of  life.  Nor  are  the  writers  unbelievers. 
Doubt  as  to  the  existence  of  God  never  enters  their 
minds,  but  they  boldly  ask  whether  the  prophets 
were  right  in  picturing  the  Deity  as  merciful  and  just? 
For  them  the  two  horns  of  the  dilemma  are  that 
either  God  is  indifferent  to  human  suffering  in  which 
case  He  would  not  be  merciful,  or  as  the  source  of 
good  and  evil  He  doles  out  both  without  judging  the 
acts  of  man,  in  which  case  He  would  not  be  just. 
Neither  cold  rationalism  nor  apathetic  stoicism  could 
satisfy  a  group  of  writers  whose  religious  fervor  shows 
itself  in  such  a  passage,  descriptive  of  God's  tender 
care  for  mankind  as  the  following: 

"Thy  hands  moulded  and  fashioned  me. 

Didst  Thou  not  pour  me  out  as  milk, 

And  like  cheese  didst  curdle  me?  ^^^ 

Clothed  me  with  skin  and  flesh 

And  knitted  me  together  with  bones  and  sinews } 

Grace  Thou  didst  grant  me; 

And  Thy  providence  watched  over  my  spirit." 

(lo,  ia-i2.) 


*"  Referring  to  the  growth  of  the  foetus  from  the  semen. 

ISO 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

Only  one  of  strong  religious  bent  could  write 
such  a  passage;  and  we  must  perforce  assume  that 
the  impressive  description  of  God's  marvels  in  nature 
which  occur  in  the  speeches  of  the  friends  "^  found  a 
response  in  the  hearts  of  those  who,  nevertheless, 
ranged  themselves  on  the  side  of  Job.  If  the  writers 
in  Job  could  have  reconciled  themselves  to  the 
hypothesis  of  God's  callousness  to  man,  the  dilemma 
would  not  have  seemed  so  terrible  that  a  watchful 
providence  should  also  be  cruel  enough  to  lay  in 
store  tortures  for  His  creatures. 

"And  yet  such  things  didst  Thou  hide  in  Thy  mind. 
I  know  that  this  is  Thy  way."    (lo,  13.) 

With  this  problem  the  writers  in  Job  strive  long 
and  earnestly,  and  in  a  deeply  religious  spirit,  only 
to  reach  the  negative  conclusion  that  one  cannot 
argue  with  God,  because  one  cannot  bring  one's  case 
before  Him.  To  think  of  doing  so  already  involves 
the  questioning  of  Divine  justice.  Job's  plight  being 
regarded  as  typical,  the  problem  of  human  suffering 
thus  remains  suspended  in  the  air.  The  give  and 
take  in  the  debate  between  Job  and  his  friends  leads 
by  sheer  necessity  to  no  issue.  The  Symposium 
becomes  merely  a  play  of  tossing  the  conundrum  like 
a  ball  forwards  and  backwards.  There  is  no  further 
progress  in  the  discussion  after  Job  has  once  gone  so 
far  as  to  declare, 

"How  can  a  man  win  a  suit  against  God?"    (9,  2.) 

The  arguments  of  the  friends  are  weak  and  futile 
against  this  obstacle  to  further  discussion.    They  are 

^^^e.g.y  EHphaz  (5,  9-10)  Zophar  (11,  7-9). 

151 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

like  waves  dashing  themselves  against  a  breakwater 
that  hurls  them  back  with  still  greater  force.  Of 
what  use  is  it  for  Eliphaz  to  argue  (4,  7-8)  that  no 
innocent  ever  perished  and  that  those  who  sow 
iniquity  perish  by  the  breath  of  God,  when  the 
assumption  in  Job's  case  is  that  he  is  innocent?  Of 
what  avail  is  it  for  Bildad  to  assure  Job  that  those 
who  forget  the  paths  of  God  are  doomed  to  destruc- 
tion, and  that  if  Job  will  only  turn  to  God  all  will  be 
well  (8,  22),  when  the  point  is  that  God  is  deaf  or 
indifferent  to  Job's  cries  of  anguish.  How  bootless 
for  Zophar  to  ring  the  changes  on  the  threadbare 
argument  that  if  Job  will  confess  his  guilt  his  suffer- 
ings will  come  to  an  end  (11,  11-15),  in  the  face  of 
the  undeniable  fact  that  the  innocent  do  suffer  and 
that  the  wicked  are  not  punished  in  this  world. 
Indeed  the  rebellious  spirit  goes  so  far  as  to  suggest 
in  the  chapter  which  marks  one  of  the  climaxes  in 
the  Symposium  (chapter  21)  that  the  friends  of  Job 
know  that  the  picture  of  the  doom  of  the  wicked  as 
drawn  by  them  is  false,^^^  and  that  in  this  topsy- 
turvy world  fates  are  meted  out  without  reference 
to  merit  or  demerit. 

Throughout  the  Symposium,  therefore,  there  is 
a  consistent  rebellious  spirit.  The  aim  of  the  original 
Book  of  Job  is  not  to  deny  Providence,  but  to  enter  a 
protest  against  the  Prophets'  assurance  of  the  govern- 
ment of  the  universe  by  a  Power  acting  according  to 
the  dictation  of  justice  and  mercy.  That  is  the  gist 
of  the  philosophy  in  Job — a  protest. 

"'Eliphaz  (chapter  15,  17-35).  BHdud  (chapter  18),  Zophar  (chap- 
ter 20). 

152 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

II 

THE  RELIGIOUS  STRAIN  IN  THE  ORIGINAL    BOOK 

OF  JOB 

And  yet  we  miss  the  real  meaning  of  the  book  if 
we  conceive  of  this  protest  as  irreligious.  It  is  the 
protest  of  profoundly  religious  spirits  who  seek  to^ 
unravel  the  mysteries  of  life  and  decline  to  content 
themselves  with  the  repetition  of  meaningless  phrases, 
or  to  be  lulled  to  rest  by  a  false  view  of  actual  condi- 
tions. Job's  philosophy  harks  back  in  a  measure  to 
the  earlier  conception  of  Yahweh  as  a  nature  Power, 
exerting  its  force  irrespective  of  ethical  motives. 
Just  here  is  the  crux  of  the  attitude  towards  life 
assumed  by  the  writers  in  the  Symposium.  The 
position  reached  by  independent  inquiry  is  super- 
latively painful,  because  the  choice  lies  between  an  ' 
ethical  view  of  Divine  rule  and  a  non-ethical  Power, . 
representing  a  force  of  nature  to  whom  no  appeal 
for  either  justice  or  mercy  is  possible.  The  gods  of 
the  older  period  could  at  least  be  bribed  and  flattered 
by  sacrifices  and  homage.  The  God  of  Job  is  a 
\  blind  force. 

"The  guiltless  and  the  wicked  He  destroys. 

If  a  scourge  should  suddenly  strike  one, 
i    He  would  merely  laugh  at  the  death  of  the  innocent." 

(9,  22-23.) 

We  must  not,  to  be  sure,  stress  the  implication 
of  cruelty  involved  in  this  outburst  too  hard.  Job's 
concern  is  with  the  absence  of  evidence  for  a  just  rule 
interfering  in  the  affairs  of  man.  Even  if  a  pious 
man  by  virtue  of  his  strong  faith  endures  the  test  of 

153 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

innocent  suffering,  the  conception  underlying  this 
faith  cannot  endure  the  test  of  the  plain  fact  that  in 
this  world  the  wicked  frequently  escape  the  merited 
punishment  for  their  deeds.  The  value  of  the  Book 
of  Job  in  its  original  form  lies  precisely  in  this  sharp 
formulation  of  the  situation — either  a  God  who  is 
cruel,  or  a  blind  force.  The  prophets  of  the  pre-exilic 
period  could  develop  and  press  their  ethical  theory  of 
Divine  government,  because  the  evidence  was  over- 
whelming that  the  people  had  sinned  by  falling  away 
from  the  old  national  protector  Yahweh,  through  the 
adoption  of  rites  that  were  foreign  to  Him.  Political 
corruption  and  social  injustice  reinforced  the  position 
of  the  religious  leaders,  who  could  thus  maintain  the 
doctrine  of  just  retribution  as  the  main  attribute  of 
Yahweh.  But  the  very  acceptance  of  the  doctrine 
by  the  Jews  of  the  post-exilic  period  who  regulated 
their  lives  and  their  worship  according  to  the  teach- 
ings of  the  prophets  created  the  problem  with  which 
Job  is  pictured  as  wrestling.  The  Israel  of  the  pre- 
exilic  period  had  sinned  and  had  suffered  punishment. 
The  chastened  Israel  of  the  post-exilic  period  was 
justified  in  looking  forward  to  Divine  favor  and  grace, 
but  things  went  on  just  the  same.  Suffering  was  not 
diminished,  wrong  continued  to  be  triumphant,  and 
the  hoped  for  independence  was  not  realized,  despite 
the  growing  piety  of  the  people.  The  fate  of  Job 
thus  became  in  a  special  sense  typical  of  the  disap- 
pointment encountered  by  the  people  as  a  whole. 
The  post-exilic  prophets  reflect  this  disappointment, 
and  there  is  a  close  affiliation  between  the  figure  of  the 
suffering  servant  of  Yahweh  in  the  post-exilic  sections 

154 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

of  the  Book  of  Isaiah  ^^®  and  the  figure  of  Job,  just 
as  we  have  echoes  in  Psalms  dating  from  about  the 
same  period  as  the  Book  of  Job,  of  the  pathetic  com- 
plaint at  God's  apparent  indiiference  to  undeserved 
distress  and  misfortune."^ 

The  problem  of  human  suffering  was  thus 
directly  suggested  by  the  political  and  social  condi- 
tions prevailing  in  the  fifth  century  b.c.  The  writers 
in  Job  lived  in  a  questioning  age,  and  the  spirit 
affected  both  those  who  maintained  a  strong  faith 
in  the  "Guardian  of  Israel,"  of  whom  it  was  felt  that 
'despite  appearances  to  the  contrary  He  "neither 
slumbers  nor  sleeps"  (Psalm  121,  3),  and  those  whose 
questioning  went  beyond  prescribed  limits.  A  strug- 
gle between  accepted  beliefs  and  their  apparent 
I  incompatibility  to  explain  the  facts — the  fate  of  the 
people  and  the  fate  of  individuals — ^was  inevitable. 
It  is  from  this  point  of  view  that  we  must  judge  the 
attitude  towards  life  reflected  in  the  original  Book  of 
Job.  The  skepticism  of  the  writers  is  revealed  not 
merely  in  raising  the  problem  of  human  suffering; 
but  even  more  in  the  abandonment  of  the  problem 
at  the  close  of  the  Symposium  as  an  apparently  hope- 
less conundrum.  The  individual  aspect  of  the  prob- 
lem was  inseparable  from  the  larger  national  point 
of  view  and  is  to  be  regarded  as  an  outcome  of  the 
general  feeling  of  depression  that  set  in  in  the  post- 
exilic  period  and  became  accentuated  with  each 
succeeding  century. 


1^^  See  especially  chapters  42,  44,  49  and  53. 
"'Above,  p.  36. 

15s 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

III 

INDIVIDUALISM  IN  RELIGION 

.While  Israel,  the  suffering  servant  of  Yahweh, 
and   Job   the   suffering  individual   are   merely   two 

>  aspects  of  one  and  the  sanie  problem,  the  significant 
/feature  of  the  philosophy  in  the  Book  of  Job  lies, 

y  however,  in  the  application  of  the  problem  to  the 

\  individual.  The  Book  of  Job  thus  transports  us  to 
an  age  in  which  religion  was  no  longer  exclusively  an 

.  affair  of  the  group,  as  is  the  case  everywhere  in  early 
stages  of  culture  and  which  survives  as  the  under- 
lying theory  of  the  cult  even  in  advanced  civiliza- 
tions of  antiquity.  As  long  as  Yahweh  was  merely 
the  national  protector  of  the  Hebrews,  the  individual's 
share  in  religion  was  as  a  member  of  the  group.    With 

;  the  enlarged  conception  of  Yahweh  as  an  ethical  force 
in  the  regulation  of  the  life  of  the  group,  the  sense 
of  individual  responsibility  begins  to  assert  itself. 

We  observe  this  new  relationship  of  the  indi- 
vidual to  Yahweh  for  the  first  time  in  the  days  of 
Jeremiah  and  Ezekiel;  that  is,  at  the  time  of  the  ex- 
tinction of  the  political  independence  of  the  ancient 
Hebrews.  When  the  final  catastrophe  came,  in  586 
B.C.,  the  people,  drawing  the  lesson  from  the  teachings 
of  the  earlier  prophets,  concluded  that  the  punish- 
ment sent  upon  them  was  because  of  the  sins  of  their 
forefathers  which  the  prophets  for  a  century  and  a 
half  had  denounced.  Yahweh  was  primarily  the  god 
of  the  people  as  a  national  unit.  The  merits  of  indi- 
viduals counted  for  little  as  against  the  disloyalty  to 

156 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

the  national  protector.  But  the  sins  of  the  past  were 
now  atoned  for  by  the  national  misfortune  that  had 
overtaken  the  Hebrews,  and  hence  Jeremiah  announces 
the  institution  of  a  new  covenant  between  Yahweh 

.and  the  "House  of  Israel"  which  was  to  be  marked 

jby  individual  responsibility. 

"In  those  days  they  shall  no  more  say: 

The  fathers  have  eaten  sour  grapes 
And  the  children's  teeth  are  set  on  edge, 

but  everyone  shall  die  for  his  own  iniquity  ;  every  man  that 
eats  sour  grapes  his  teeth  shall  be  set  on  edge."    (31,  29-30.) 

Ezekiel,  writing  during  the  exilic  period,  is  even 
more  explicit  and  takes  the  proverbial  saying  quoted 
by  Jeremiah,  as  the  text  for  a  sermon  (chapter  18) 
on  this  new  doctrine  of  the  individual  relationship  to 
Yahweh.  No  longer  will  the  people  be  able  to  lay 
the  flattering  unction  to  their  souls,  should  misfor- 
tunes again  come,  that  they  are  making  atonement 
for  the  wrongs  committed  by  a  former  generation. 
Not    only   will    each    generation    be    punished    or 

I  rewarded  according  to  its  record,  but  each  indi- 
vidual will  be  judged  on  his  own  merits.    Correspond- 

'ingly,  the  merits  of  the  fathers  will  not  benefit 
the  children.  "The  soul  that  sins,  it  shall  die,"  ^^^ 
irrespective  of  whether  the  father  is  righteous  or 
wicked;  nor  will  the  righteous  son  of  a  wicked 
father  suffer  for  the  transgressions  of  his  parent. 
This  doctrine,  passes  far  beyond  the  pre-exilic  teach- 
ing of  a  "jealous"  Yahweh  who  "  visits  the  iniquity 
of  the  fathers  upon  the  children  of  the  third  and  fourth 

"8  Ezekiel  18,  20. 

IS7 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

generation,"  ^^^  as  it  also  discards  the  correlative  of  a 
Yahweh  showing  mercy  to  those  who  are  faithful 
even  to  the  thousandth  generation.  To  emphasize 
the  new  doctrine  Ezekiel  introduces  Noah,  Daniel 
and  Job  as  models  of  piety, ^^o  ^^^  declares  that  the 
merits  of  these  men  will  deliver  only  their  own  souls. 
The  new  doctrine  not  only  found  room  for  the 
inclusion  of  individual  requests  to  be  brought  before 
Yahweh,  but  placed  these  requests  on  the  same  plane 
as  appeals  on  behalf  of  the  group.  The  witness  of 
Yahweh 's  providence  was  no  longer  confined  to  suc- 
cess in  arms  or  to  the  blessings  of  the  field  which 
affected  the  whole  people,  but  in  His  response  to  the 
needs  of  individuals.  Correspondingly,  Divine  anger 
directed  its  blows  at  the  guilty  alone,  but  the  new 
relationship  thus  evolved,  which  became  the  very 
foundation  stone  of  post-exilic  Judaism,  led  to  the 
problem  which  is  the  central  theme  in  the  Book  of 
Job.  If  what  the  prophets  taught  was  correct  then 
indeed  the  question  became  pressing — ^why  should  the 
innocent  man  suffer?  The  new  doctrine  grew  in 
strength  as  the  national  Yahweh  shades  over  into 
the  universal  Jehovah,  who  guides  the  destinies  of 
individuals  as  well  as  nations.  The  thought  of  mak- 
ing the  experiences  of  a  single  man  the  acid  test  for 
the  prevailing  theory  on  which  religion  rested  is, 
therefore,  to  be  taken  as  indicative  of  an  age  in  which 
the  realization  of  religion  as  not  only  the  affair  of  the 
group  but  the  concern  of  the  individual  as  well  is 
almost  complete — almost,  for  it  required  the  final 

"'Exodus  20,  5;  Deuteronomy  5,  9. 
"°  See  above,  p.  45. 

iS8 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

extinction  of  Israel's  hopes  as  a  political  unit,  which 
did  not  take  place  until  the  days  of  Roman  control 
over  Palestine,  to  bring  about  the  final  separation 
from  the  older  view  of  religion  interpreted  in  the 
terms  of  group  solidarity. 

In  further  illustration  of  the  stress  on  individual- 
ism in  the  religious  attitude  as  unfolded  in  the  original 
Book  of  Job,  it  should  be  pointed  out  that  for  the 
^author  of  the  Book  of  Job,  God  is  shorn  of  all  nation- 
alistic limitations.  He  does  not  write  as  a  nationalistic 
Jew,  as  little  as  does  Koheleth.  There  is  nothing 
indeed  throughout  the  Symposium  to  suggest  a 
ewish  atmosphere,  except  the  fact  that  the  writers 
re  protesting  against  the  current  conception,  pecu- 
iar  to  Judaism.  They  avoid,  as  we  have  seen,  the 
specific  Hebraic  name  Yahweh  for  the  Deity  and 
prefer  general  designations  like  Elohim  or  El.  The 
Book  of  Job  is  thus  from  its  conception,  as  Carlyle 
called  it,  an  "all  man's  book" — and  not  a  specifically 
Jewish  one.  The  writers  were  probably  not  particu- 
larly interested  in  Judaism,  just  as  Koheleth  is  indif- 
ferent to  the  religion  of  his  forefathers.  They  are 
absorbed  by  the  problem  with  which  they  deal — 
independent  thinkers,  approaching  their  theories 
from  an  intellectually  and  broadly  humanitarian 
point  of  view. 

IV 
THE  DEFECTS  IN  JOB'S  PHILOSOPHY 

But  the  original  Book  of  Job  in  thus  demon- 
strating the  difficulties  involved  in  explaining  things 
as  they  are  in  this  world  on  the  basis  of  conventional 

IS9 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

beliefs  also  reveals  the  weakness  of  the  book,  for  Job 
protests  without  furnishing  a  substitute  for  the  faith 
Mjwhich  he  declares  that  he  is  unable  to  accept  as  his 
|own.  He  who  questions  should  feel  the  obligation 
to  answer  the  question  that  he  raises ;  and  if  he  stops 
short  at  merely  showing  the  insufficiency  of  the 
current  answers  to  the  question — ^what  to  do  with 
one's  life — ^he  must  be  prepared  to  find  others  taking 
up  the  task  at  the  point  where  he  left  it.  Only  occa- 
sionally— ^notably  at  the  close  of  the  nineteenth 
chapter — is  the  faint  hope  held  out  that  there  is  a 
way  out  of  the  darkness,  but  this  goes  no  further 
than  to  suggest  that  in  the  distant  future  some  one 
will  arise  who  will  do  justice  to  the  innocent  sufferer. 
But  how?  Merely  by  showing  that  Job  was  right  in 
his  protestation  of  his  innocence,  and  that  the  friends 
were  wrong  in  trying  to  force  the  confession  from  his 
lips  that  he  had  sinned  and  invited  his  punishment. 
This  hope  does  not  suffice  to  dispel  the  darkness  in 
which  man  is  condemned  to  pass  through  life,  unable 
to  discover  the  guidance  of  a  just  and  merciful 
Providence. 

While  in  thus  interpreting  the  philosophy  of  Job, 
it  is  no  part  of  our  task  to  refute  it,  yet  it  is  not  diffi- 
cult to  discover  the  weakness  of  Job's  position.  In 
the  first  place,  the  writers  do  not  give  the  friends 
who  are  supposed  to  represent  the  orthodox  conten- 
tion the  opportunity  to  enlarge  upon  the  factor  of 
faith — strong  faith  in  the  justice  and  mercy  of  God 
despite  appearances  to  the  contrary.  That  faith 
constitutes  the  support  of  the  psalmist,  when  tempted 
to  yield  to  despair.    It  gives  the  psalmist  the  courage 

i6o 


-'. 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

to  make  his  appeal  even  with  the  enemies  encompass- 
ing him  with  no  apparent  chance  of  escape: 

"Keep  me  as  the  apple  of  the  eye; 
Hide  me  in  the  shadow  of  Thy  wings."    (17,  8.) 

There  is  little  of  this  in  the  speeches  of  the 
friends — an  occasional  allusion  here  and  there. 
Eliphaz  in  his  first  speech  touches  upon  the  theme, 
but  only  superficially: 

"Out  of  six  dangers  He  will  deliver  thee; 
And  at  the  seventh  will  not  permit  evil  to  harm  thee."  (5,  19.) 

Bildad  urges  the  appeal  to  God,  because 

"Forsooth,  God  will  not  reject  the  upright; 
Nor  does  He  strengthen  the  hand  of  evildoers."    (8,  20.) 

And  Zophar  echoes  this  assurance  (11,  13-18),  though 
always  coupled  with  the  assumption  that  Job  is 
guilty  and  needs  Divine  forgiveness.  The  argument 
that  faith  enables  one  to  endure  in  patience  is  illus- 
trated in  the  folktale  of  Job,  but  it  is  not  pressed 
home  in  the  speeches  of  the  friends.  The  reason  is 
obvious.  Consciously — or  possibly  unconsciously — 
the  writers  in  Job  lay  the  sole  emphasis  on  the  incom- 
patibility of  the  position  assumed  by  the  friends  with 
the  facts  of  experience.  They  wish  to  prove  by  the 
example  of  Job  that  there  is  evil  in  a  world  supposed 
to  be  created  by  a  Power  of  Good.  The  whole  book 
is  directed  towards  this  aim.  It  is  difficult  for  those 
thus  bent  on  pressing  a  single  point  of  view  to  see 
the  other  side  as  strongly  and  as  clearly  as  they  do 
their  own.  In  other  words,  the  Symposium  reveals 
throughout  a  Tendenz,  to  use  the  expressive  German 
term.  It  begins  with  a  theory  and  ends  with  a  quod 
II  161 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

erat  demonstrandum.  Secondly,  this  same  one-sidedness 
prevents  the  writers  from  bringing  forward  in  the  argu- 
ments of  the  friends  the  theory  of  punishment  as  a  test. 
Again,  we  note  that  while  the  folktale  hinges  around 
this  point  of  view  which  is  a  strong  weapon  that  can 
be  wielded  with  effect  in  supporting  the  contention 
that  God  is  just,  even  though  there  be  innocent  suffer- 
ing, in  the  Symposium  there  is  only  one  clear  reference 
to  such  a  theory,  when  Eliphaz  is  made  to  exclaim : 

"Happy  the  man  whom  God  reproves; 
The  chastisement  of  Shaddai  one  must  not  reject."   (5,  17.) 

Neither  Bildad  nor  Zophar  bring  it  forward. 
Furthermore,  the  central  theme  is  not  dealt  with 
exhaustively  in  the  Symposium,  but  solely  with  the 
[  object  of  showing  the  insufficiency  of  the  conven- 
)  tional  view  of  the  relationship  of  God  to  man.  There 
IS,  therefore,  a  genuine  justification  for  the  two 
appendices  that  were  added  to  the  book,  even  though 
this  was  done  in  the  interest  of  orthodoxy,  which  to 
be  sure  likewise  started  with  a  theory.  The  argument 
was  defective,  and  it  was  natural  in  an  age  which 
did  not  have  the  sense  of  unit  composition  in  literary 
work,  that  others  should  arise  to  try  their  hand  at 
finding  a  solution  for  the  problem  that  the  Sympo- 
sium had  left  in  so  unsatisfactory  a  condition. 

V 

THE  ATTITUDE  TOWARDS  THE  PROBLEM  OF   EVIL 
IN  THE  SPEECHES  OF  ELIHU 

If  we  have  satisfactorily  shown  that  by  the 
application  of  the  critical  method  we  can  penetrate 
into  the  philosophy  of  the  original  book  as  it  grew 

162 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

under  the  hands  of  writers  who  all  emanated  from  the 
circle  of  independent  inquiry  among  the  Jews  of 
post-exilic  days,  and  can  determine  its  relationship  to 
the  social  and  political  conditions  prevailing  in  Pal- 
estine during  the  close  of  the  fifth  century  and  in  the 
fourth  century  b.  c.  when  it  took  shape,  we  should 
now  be  able  to  put  the  method  to  a  further  test  by 
finding  in  the  two  large  appendices  to  the  book, namely, 
the  four  speeches  of  Elihu  and  the  collection  of  eight 
nature  poems,  the  corrective  proposed  for  the  un- 
orthodox teachings  of  the  original  book. 

That  is  indeed  the  case,  and  since  we  have  al- 
ready had  occasion  to  touch  on  the  contrast  between  TX 
the  original  book  and  the  two  appendices,  we  can  ^** 
content  ourselves  with  a  brief  summary  of  the  manner 
in  which  the  attempt  is  made  to  reach  a  definite 
solution  of  the  problem  which  continued  to  arouse 
the  interest  of  both  orthodox  and  unorthodox  circles. 
/a  main  contribution  is  made  in  the  first  speech  of 
Elihu  (chapter  33)  in  which  the  new  thought  is  put 
forward  that  trials  and  sufferings  are  warnings  sent  to 
man,  of  the  same  order  as  revelations  in  night  visions. 
Man,  even  though  not  conscious  of  wrongdoing,  is  in 
danger  of  yielding  to  a  sense  of  self-satisfaction.  The 
virtuous  man  may  develop  a  pride  that  is  itself  sinful. 
He  may  not  actually  have  entered  upon  the  path  of 
wrongdoing,  but  he  is  always  in  danger  of  swerving 
from  the  right  road,  perhaps  by  an  overweening 
sense  of  his  moral  strength;  and  so  sickness  and 
other  sorrows  are  sent  to  him  to  recall  him  to  himself  , 
before  it  is  too  late.  Such  a  man,  if  he  recognizes 
the  warning,  will   pass    safely  through   tribulations      \ 

163  I 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

and  come  out  stronger  in  spirit  than  before.    He  will, 
when   properly   chastened    by   suffering,    make    his 
appeal  and  his  confession,  and  again  be  found  worthy 
I  of  God's  grace : 

"Behold  all  this  God  does, 
Twice  and  thrice  with  a  man; 
To  keep  his  soul  from  the  pit, 
To  enjoy  light  in  the  land  of  the  living."  (33,  29-30.) 

Thus  the  new  thought  is  summed  up,  perhaps  by 
a  later  commentator, ^21  ^^j  ^q  which  there  is  no  further 
contribution  in  the  second  speech  (chapter  34).  In- 
deed, this  second  discourse  is  in  reality  a  relapse  into 
the  method  followed  by  the  friends  in  the  Symposium. 
It  is  on  a  decidedly  lower  plane  than  the  first. 

In  the  third  speech  we  are  introduced  to  a  new 
thought.  Since  man's  deeds — good  or  bad — affect 
him  alone,  and  God  is  neither  benefited  by  the  virtues 
of  the  good,  nor  injured  by  the  sins  of  the  wicked,  man 
and  not  God  should  be  held  responsible  for  the  ills 
that  befall  one.  It  is  proper  to  appeal  to  God  for  help, 
but  not  with  the  thought  that  the  misfortune  has  come 
from  God.  God's  deeds  are  to  be  seen  in  the  marvels 
of  nature  and  in  his  fundamental  care  for  the  beasts  of 
the  earth  and  the  birds  of  heaven.  Such  manifesta- 
tions should  give  us  the  assurance  that  when  sufferings 
come  for  which  we  cannot  assign  a  cause,  it  is  for  some 
good  reason  if  God  does  not  hearken  to  one's  cry  for 
help.  A  strange  thought — that  God  is  not  concerned 
with  the  transgressions  of  men  and  that  misfortunes 
are  not  to  be  attributed  to  Him  but  due  to  human 
actions,  either  our  own  or  those  of  others.    The  retort 

"^  See  the  note  to  the  passage. 

164 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

Is  obvious,  why  does  God  permit  men  to  inflict  in- 
juries and  tortures  on  those  who  have  done  no  wrong? 
/Why  does  He  not  interfere  to  prevent  innocent  suf- 
fering? What  satisfaction  is  there  to  be  told  that  the 
blame  for  human  sufferings  is  not  to  be  ascribed  to 
God,  because  suff"erings  come  through  the  deeds  of 
man?  For  all  that,  the  thought  is  interesting,  both 
because  of  its  novelty  and  its  subtlety.  It  anticipates 
in  a  way  the  solution  suggested  by  the  nature  poems 
that  we  must  direct  our  gaze  to  the  large  and  com- 
prehensive manifestations  of  Divine  government 
rather  than  concentrate  on  man's  needs  and  longings. 
We  must  look  at  the  world  through  the  large  end  of 
the  glass,  not  through  the  small  one.  Man  is  only  a 
part  of  the  great  universe,  and  an  infinitesimal  part 
at  that.  Why  should  man  suppose  that  his  happiness 
is  the  controlling  motive  in  the  Divine  scheme  ? 

"Shall  for  thy  sake  the  earth  be  forsaken. 
And  [its]  Guardian  be  removed  from  His  place?"   (i8,  4.) 

asks  Bildad  in  the  same  spirit  which  prompts  Elihu 
to  emphasize  that  one  must  refrain  from  asking 
"Where  is  God"  (35,  10)  when  men  commit  deeds 
that  bring  suffering  and  misery  to  their  fellows.  Elihu 
recognizes  that  much  of  the  suifering  to  which  men 
are  subject  is  due  to  human  wickedness  and  tyranny. 
It  should  not  be  so,  but  one  must  seek  the  true  cause, 
and  not  attribute  it  to  God's  will  or  His  direct  inter- 
ference in  the  course  of  events.  The^rgunien^^^^ 
protest,  against  a  too_Jiteraj_  interpretation  of  ihe 
prophet's  view  of  God  as  a_  Power  making  for  right- 
eousnessp~and-which  invofves  us  in  the'^lemmaTout 

16s 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

of  which  Job  cannot  extricate  himself.  The  argument 
of  EHhu  would  fit  in  better  with  religions  of  the  older 
type  in  which  the  gods  are  represented  as  concerned 
with  the  group,  whereas  post-exilic  Judaism  clearly 
stresses  the  relation  of  the  individual  to  the  Deity  by 
the  side  of  His  concern  for  the  national  weal.  It  is  in- , 
teresting,  however,  to  see  this  thought  brought  forward 
by  the  defenders  of  orthodoxy;  and  from  various 
points  of  view  its  force  is  apparent.  To  be  sure,  the 
rgument  loses  sight  of  the  fact  that  Job's  case  is  a 
)articularly  flagrant  one  because  he  is  portrayed  in  the 
folktale  as  quite  the  exceptional  man.  Elihu,  how- 
ever, who  is  concerned  with  the  general  problem  can 
afford  to  ignore  exceptional  circumstances.  He  is  bent 
upon  showing  that  God  who  is  supremely  just  cannot 
be  the  author  of  wrong  and  injustice.  In  order  to 
press  this  truth  home,  he  calls  upon  believers  to  con- 
centrate on  the  general  course  of  events  in  this  world 
which  reveal  a  guiding  hand. 

The  fourth  speech  (chapter  36)  again  follows 
along  the  lines  of  the  first  and  is  in  fact  almost  a 
replica  of  it,  beginning  by  the  repeated  assurance  that 

"God  does  not  permit  the  wicked  to  flourish, 
And  He  judges  the  cause  of  the  afflicted."    (36,  6.) 

and  that  if  sorrows  and  sufferings  come  apparently 
unmerited,  it  is  in  order  to  warn  men  against  haughti- 
ness and  to  keep  them  from  evil  ways : 

"He  opens  their  ear  to  discipline, 
And  tells  [them]  to  return  from  iniquity."   (36,  10.) 

The  only  additional  thought  in  the  chapter,  fol- 
lowing as  a  corollary  from  the  general  position  taken 
in  regard  to  suffering  viewed  as  a  warning  and  dis- 

166 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

I  cipline,  is  that  those  who  do  not  note  the  warning 
y  assume  that  God  is  arbitrary  and  hostile  to  man,  as 
I  Job  does  in  the  Symposium.    They  are  the  impious 
ones,  but  even  when  such  men  are  afflicted  it  is  done 
in  the  hope  that  their  ears  will  be  opened  and  that  they 
will  recognize  the  iniquity  of  their  charges  against  God. 
The  speeches  of  Elihu  thus  constitute  a  series  of 
further   answers    to    the    problem   with   which   Job 
wrestles  and  which  the  original  book  leaves  in  sus- 
pense.    While  from  the  literary  point  of  view  this 
appendix  is  inferior  to  the  Symposium,  the  introduc- 
tions being  prolix  and  the  language  far  less  poetical, 
though  fine  passages  are  interspersed  here  and  there, 
the  speeches  serve  the  purpose  for  which  they  were 
added,  to  present  the  case  for  the  current  beliefs  in  a 
stronger  light.    With  no  Job  to  answer  Elihu,  the 
I   very  repetition  of  the  main  argument  that  suifering 
;  and  sorrows  are  God's  method  of  disciplining  man  to 
'  virtue  and  of  warning  him  against  dangers  to  his 
better  nature  could  not  fail  to  make  a  deep  impres- 
sion— certainly  an  impression  strong  enough  to  weaken 
that  left  by  the  Symposium. 

VI 

THE  SOLUTION  OF  THE  PROBLEM  IN  THE 
NATURE  POEMS 

We  have  seen  that  in  one  of  the  speeches  of  Elihu 
there  is  an  anticipation  of  the  main  argument  ad- 
vanced through  the  nature  poems  which  form  the 
second  appendix,  that  we  are  to  seek  God  in  nature 
rather  than  in  the  changing  fortunes  of  men.    It  is 

167 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

this  thought  that  leads  to  the  insertion  of  a  poem,  ^^ 
descriptive  of  God's  majesty  as  seen  in  a  storm.  For 
beauty  and  force  the  poem  has  few  equals  in  the 
world's  literature.  The  poet  pictures  the  impression 
made  upon  him  by  the  downpour  of  rain,  by  the  roll  of 
the  thunder  and  the  flashes  of  lightning. 

"At  this  my  heart  indeed  trembles, 
And  is  moved  out  of  its  place."   (37,  i.) 

The  animals  seeking  refuge  and  men  ceasing  their 
activities  during  the  storm  and  cold  blasts  from  the 
North  are  pictured  in  most  eloquent  language,  and 
equally  beautiful  is  the  passing  of  the  storm  and  the 
return  of  the  sunshine  as  the  clouds  recede. 

The  poem  forms  the  transition  to  a  fragment  on 
the  wonders  of  creation  (37,  14-20)  and  to  the  collec- 
tion of  nature  poems  in  which  a  magnificent  panorama 
of  God's  creation  of  the  world,  of  His  regulation  of  the 
movements  in  the  heavens  and  the  variety  and  char- 
acter of  animal  life  is  unrolled  before  us.  The  little 
anthology  teaches  its  own  lesson — ^that  in  the  face  of 
these  witnesses  to  God's  power  and  forethought,  man 
is  forced  to  silent  adoration.  With  this  evidence  be- 
fore us  of  a  great  Force  present  in  nature,  how  can 
there  be  any  further  doubts  of  a  directing  helm  also  in 
the  lives  of  men?  And  if  this  assurance  is  not  suflfi- 
cient,  what  hope  is  there  that  the  tiny  human  in- 
tellect can  by  mere  discussion  penetrate  into  a  mind  of 
such  infinite  magnitude  ? 

The  four  chapters  containing  the  nature  poems 
furnish  the  final  answer  of  orthodox  circles  to  Job's 
questionings.    Man  should  desist  from  the  effort  of 

"*  36,  24-37, 12.  See  above  p.  79,  and  the  translation,  placed  after  Chapter  36. 

168 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

trying  to  understand  God's  mysterious  ways.  Job's 
confession  in  the  second  epilogue: 

"What  I  did  not  understand,  I  uttered; 
Things  far  beyond  me  of  which  I  had  no  knowledge."  (42,  3  b.) 

is  put  forward  as  the  appropriate  attitude  in  the  con- 
templation of  God  in  nature.  What  can  man  know  of 
God-f^  He  can  merely  see  the  workings  of  the  Infinite 
and  must  rest  content  with  a  faith  aroused  in  him  by 
such  witnesses.  The  confession  forms  the  corollary  to 
the  ecstasy  of  the  psalmist  when  he  asks : 

"When  I  behold  Thy  heaven,  the  work  of  Thy  fingers, 
The  moon  and  the  stars  which  Thou  hast  established; 
What  is  man  that  Thou  art  mindful  of  him 
And  the  son  of  man  that  Thou  thinkest  of  him?"   (Ps.  8,  4-5.) 

/  What  arrogance,  then,  for  puny  man  to  measure 

I  his  intellect  with  the  Infinite  mind  ? 

It  is  not  too  much  to  say  that  the  nature  poems 
/rise  superior  by  the  nobility  of  their  diction  and  by 
the  force  of  the  descriptions  even  to  the  Symposium 
itself.  They  are  a  tribute  to  the  grasp  which  the 
conception  of  God,  as  developed  under  the  ethical 
teachings  of  the  prophets,  had  obtained  on  the  re- 
ligious minds  of  post-exilic  days.  A  religious  fervor 
that  could  produce  a  group  of  poets  capable  of  such 
flights  as  we  encounter  in  the  closing  chapters  of  the 
book  bears  eloquent  testimony  to  the  complete  suc- 
cess of  the  movement  inaugurated  by  Amos,  Hosea, 
Micah  and  Isaiah  in  the  eight  century,  which  led  to 
such  a  striking  advance  in  religious  thought.  These 
chapters,  besides  their  value  in  furnishing  the  only 
satisfactory  answer  to  Job's  problem  that  can  give 
some  comfort  to  souls  troubled  because  they  feel  so 

169 


"THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

keenly  the  tragedy  of  human  suffering,  also  furnish 
the  explanation  for  the  persistence  of  the  religious 
faith  of  which  they  are  an  exponent.  They  account 
for  the  further  products  of  that  faith  in  giving  rise  to 
other  great  religious  systems — Christianity  and  Islam 
based  on  the  same  spiritualized  conception  of  Divine 
government  of  the  universe.  The  critical  method  thus 
leads  us  to  an  estimate  of  the  Book  of  Job  which,  while 
it  discards  the  traditional  interpretation  in  frankly 
recognizing  the  original  book  as  a  skeptical  production, 
yet  in  another  sense  reinforces  tradition  by  showing 
that  through  the  second  and  the  third  strata  the  book 
was  actually  changed  into  as  strong  a  bulwark  of 
religious  faith  as  was  possible  in  an  age  which  had  not 
yet  evolved  the  doctrine  of  retribution  in  a  future 
-world  as  a  compensation  for  the  sufferings  in  this  one. 
That  doctrine  when  it  arose  was  destined  to  strengthen 
man's  faith  in  what  cannot  be  solved  by  the  processes 
of  reasoning  and  in  which  faith  man,  driven  by  the 
questioning  spirit  into  an  unceasing  search,  must 
ultimately  rest  content. 

VII 

THE  NEW  DOCTRINE  OF  RETRIBUTION  IN  A 
FUTURE  WORLD 

One  wonders  if  the  original  Book  of  Job  had  been 
written  several  centuries  later,  say  about  lOO  b.  c, 
what  the  attitude  of  the  circle  of  free  inquiry  would 
have  been  towards  the  new  doctrine  of  life  after  death 
which  by  that  time  had  taken  a  firm  hold  on  pious 
minds,  particularly  in  Pharisaic  circles,  and  according 

170 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

to  which  there  was  a  distinction  between  the  ultimate 
fate  of  the  virtuous  and  the  wicked.  A  blessed  here- 
/after  was  in  store  for  the  righteous  who  had  followed  in 
/  the  path  mapped  out  by  post-exilic  Judaism,  which 
had  developed  a  high  system  of  ethics  for  guidance  by 
the  side  of  an  ever-increasing  regard  for  ceremonial 
niceties  in  the  ritual  and  in  private  devotions.  In- 
stead of  a  common  gathering  place  for  the  dead  in 
which  all  without  distinction  were  huddled  together, 
conscious  but  doomed  to  perpetual  inactivity  in  the 
•  cheerless  Sheol  where  one  could  not  even  praise  Yah- 
V^h,  a  distinction  was  made  between  the  abode  of  the 
righteous  and  of  those  who  had  led  wicked  lives.  ^^-^ 
As  a  corollary,  the  belief  in  a  resurrection  of  the  dead 
had  also  begun  to  take  definite  shape.  It  is  foresha- 
dowed in  the  last  chapter  of  the  Book  of  Daniel  which 
dates  from  the  middle  of  the  second  century  b.  c.  and 
in  which  the  awakening  of  the  dead  from  their  sleep 
"some  to  everlasting  life  and  some  to  shame  and  ever- 
lasting abhorrence"  (i2,  3)  is  predicted,  though  the 
passage  may  be  a  somewhat  later  interpolation.  Closely 
entwined  with  thisnewhope  held  out  for  the  piousmem- 
bers  of  the  community  was  the  dream  of  a  resurrection 
for  Israel,  the  nation,  in  a  blessed  future  when  the 
Messianic  kingdom  would  be  established.  The  pic- 
ture of  a  heavenly  Jerusalem  by  the  side  of  the  earthly 
one  as  the  center  of  this  kingdom  leads  to  the  further 
step  of  an  eternal  abode  of  the  righteous  in  a  heavenly 
Paradise,  while  Sheol  becomes  the  "Valley  of  Abomi- 


^  See  the  elaborate  description  in  the  so-called  Ethiopic  Book  of  Enoch 
dating  from  about  170  b.c.  of  which  Charles, ^/cA^o/o^y;  Hebrew  Jewish  and 
Christian  (London,  1899);  pp.  184  et  seq.  gives  a  synopsis. 

171 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

nation" — ^the  Gehenna  ^^4 — as  a  place  of  punishment 
for  the  wicked. 

It  is  significant  that  even  in  the  two  appendices 
attached  to  the  Book  of  Job  there  is  not  the  slightest 
!  suggestion  of  a  solution  of  the  problem  of  evil  and  in- 
nocent suffering  by  holding  up  a  future  world  of  bliss 
!  and  perfection  as  a  compensation  for  the  sufferings 
1  and  injustices  prevailing  in  this  one.    The  new  doc- 
I  trine,  replacing  the  older  view  common  to  all  Semites 
!  of  one  general  gathering  place,  was  slow  in  making  its 
way.  There  are  hints  of  a  more  cheerful  and  more  spir- 
itualistic outlook  on  death  in  some  late  Psalms,^25  but 
even  a  pious  writer  of  the  first  quarter  of  the  second 
century  b.  c,  Jesus  Ben  Sira,  still  clings  to  the  older 
view.    This  is  shown  by  the  numerous  references  to 
death  in  his  collection  of  sayings,  all  marked  by  the 
absence  of  any  thought  of  retribution   beyond  the 
grave,  ^^a    Sheol  is  for  him  still  the  general  gathering 
place  where  there  is  no  **  Thanksgiving,"  where  the 
dead  are  plunged  in  an  eternal  sleep,  and  deprived  of 
all  dehghts. 

The  rise  of  a  higher  conception  of  life  after  death, 
'while  following  as  a  logical  corollary  from  the  teach- 
ings of  the  post-exilic  Hebrew  prophets,  since  a 
^  Power  of  universal  scope,  enthroned  in  justice,  could 
not  be  supposed  to  limit  His  rule  to  the  living,  may 
also  be  viewed  as  resulting  from  the  triumph  of  the 

^Originally  Gl  Hinnom  "Valley  of  Hinnom"  outside  of  Jerusalem, 
associated  in  Hebrew  traditions  with  objectionable  religious  rites. 

"*  Psalms  49,  14-15;  73,  24.  See  the  full  discussion  of  the  subject  by 
Cheyne,  Origin  and  Religious  Content  of  the  Psalter^  pp.  381-409,  who  is  inclined 
to  stress  the  influence  of  Zoroastrianism  in  bringing  about  the  appearance  of 
the  new  doctrine. 

"^  See,  e.g.f  Ecclesiasticus  14,  16;  17,  8;  22,  11. 

172 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

skeptical  trend  in  the  original  Book  of  Job.  Post- 
exilic  Judaism,  confronted  with  the  disappointment  of 
national  hopes  and  facing  the  evidence  of  innocent 
suffering  and  prevalent  evil  in  this  world,  was 
forced  to  confess  that  the  circle  from  which  the 
original  Book  of  Job  emanated  was  justified  in  its 
position  that  the  problem  was  incapable  of  a  satis- 
factory solution  by  processes  of  reasoning.  Job  was 
indeed  "justified,"  as  was  said  at  the  close  of  the 
Symposium  (32,  i).  The  faith  preached  by  the 
nature  poems  needed  a  more  convincing  witness  than 
the  majesty  of  nature  and  the  evidence  of  extraor- 
dinary strength  in  the  animal  world.  A  compensa- 
tion in  a  future  of  perfect  bliss  and  justice  to  comfort 
one  for  the  sufferings  and  injustice  in  this  one  offered 
a  much  stronger  support  for  faith  than  the  mere  con- 
templation of  God's  power  in  nature.  The  power  of 
God  and  even  His  foresight  did  not  suffice  to  streng- 
then one's  faith.  Mercy,  justice  and  love  were 
required;  and  these  were  furnished  by  the  new  doc- 
trine of  a  retribution  in  a  future  world  that  would  be 
free  from  the  imperfections  of  the  present  one.  Hence 
the  attempt  of  the  pious  commentators,  acting  under 
the  influence  of  the  new  doctrine,  to  change  a  crucial 
passage  like  Job  19,  25-27  ^^7  into  conformity  with  the 
assurance  of  a  blissful  reward  of  the  virtuous  and 
innocent  for  hardships  endured  in  this  Hfe,  and  of 
eternal  punishment  of  the  wicked  who  had  escaped  it 
while  alive.  By  applying  the  goH  as  the  "vindicator" 
to  God  himself,  and  by  giving  a  different  turn  to 
certain  phrases,  though  at  the  expense  of  grammatical 

"'Above,  p.  124  seq. 

173 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

consistency,  Job  was  made  to  anticipate  by  several 
centuries  the  belief  in  a  future  retribution  to  which 
he  would  be  a  witness  "in  his  own  flesh." 

"I  know  that  my  Redeemer  liveth" 

became  the  motto  of  the  philosophical  poem  in  its 
traditional  interpretation,  and  in  the  face  of  the  many 
contradictory  utterances  put  into  the  mouth  of  Job 
by  the  members  of  the  circle  of  free  inquiry  that  pro- 
duced the  original  book. 

While  one  may  question  whether  the  successors  of 
this  circle  in  the  first  century  b.  c.  would  have  accepted 
the  new  doctrine  (as  the  Sadducees  refused  to  accept  it), 
it  must  be  admitted  that  the  philosophy  of  the  Book  of 
Job  would  have  been  considerably  strengthened  by 
either  its  acceptance  or  by  its  rejection  on  good 
grounds.  It  is  perhaps  the  most  serious  weakness  of 
the  skeptical  trend  of  the  original  Book  of  Job  that  it 
thus  fails — because  produced  at  too  early  a  date — ^to 
take  into  account  a  solution  which  when  it  did  arise 
was  strong  enough  to  overcome  doubt  among  Jews, 
Christians  and  Mohammedans  alike.  The  doctrine  of 
future  retribution  was  further  developed  until  it 
became  as  integral  a  part  of  these  religious  systems  as 
the  belief  in  a  spiritual  Power  of  universal  rule. 

VIII 

THE  LITERARY  FORM  OF  JOB— A  SYMPOSIUM  NOT 

A  DRAMA 

With  the  Book  of  Job  thus  consisting  of  three 
distinct  strata,  each  representing  a  composite  growth, 
the  unity  given  to  the  book  by  the  final  group  of  editors 

>74 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

is  purely  on  the  surface.  These  editors  welded  the 
three  strata  together  and  embodied  the  hundreds  of 
comments,  glosses,  additional  lines,  popular  maxims, 
and  reflections  of  pious  commentators  into  the  text 
as  though  forming  genuine  ingredients;  but  even  by- 
accepting  the  many  intentional  changes  to  tone  down 
the  sharpness  of  Job's  utterances  and  the  confusing 
arrangement  of  speeches  in  order  to  put  orthodox 
sentiments  into  the  mouth  of  Job,  no  genuine  unity 
could  be  obtained.  There  is  no  inherent  unity  in  the 
completed  Book  of  Job  if  we  accept  the  results  of  a 
critical  analysis,  any  more  than  there  is  such  a  unity 
in  the  Pentateuch,  composed  of  several  documents 
enclosed  in  a  framework  of  laws  of  gradual  growth 
with  all  kinds  of  comments,  additions  and  illustra- 
tive instances. 

The  question,  therefore,  that  is  often  raised 
whether  Job  is  a  drama  is  almost  irrelevant,  since  a 
drama  implies  an  inherent  unity  in  its  composition. 
The  situation  in  the  folktale  of  Job  is,  to  be  sure, 
dramatic,  but  the  same  applies  to  the  romantic  story 
of  Joseph  in  Genesis  and  to  many  incidents  in  the 
historical  books  of  the  Bible,  as  e.  ^.,  Saul's  visit  to 
the  Witch  of  Endor,  to  David's  encounters  with  Saul 
or  Nathan's  appearance  before  Solomon.  The  story 
of  Ruth  is  dramatic  as  is  the  tale  of  Esther,  but 
neither  is  for  that  reason  a  drama;  they  belong  in  the 
category  of  the  romantic  novel  written  as  political 
and  religious  propaganda,  not  unlike  the  modem  novel 
*'with  a  purpose."  The  story  of  Job  has  dramatic 
possibilities,  as  have  dozens  of  tales  woven  into 
Biblical  narratives.    Job  can  be  made  into  a  drama 

i7B 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

but  the  circumstance  that  the  story,  as  we  have  seen, 
is  to  be  separated  from  the  original  Symposium,  and 
this  again  from  the  two  appendices  precludes  the  pos- 
sibility of  interpreting  even  the  apparent  unity  given 
to  the  book  in  its  final  form  as  a  dramatic  composition. 
The  drama  is  foreign  to  the  ancient  Hebrew  spirit. 
Nor  is  it  encountered  in  the  old  civilizations  of  the 
East.  The  drama  is  the  outcome  of  individual 
authorship,  whereas,  as  we  have  seen,  the  methods  of 
literary  composition  in  the  ancient  Orient  tend  to 
place  the  author  in  the  background.  Where  we  find 
the  drama  in  the  Orient  as  among  the  Hindus,  it  is 
late  and  may  be  due  to  outside  influences.  ^^^  At  all 
events,  it  is  not  accidental  that  the  Greeks  among 
whom  we  first  encounter  individual  authorship  are  also 
the  ones  who  gave  to  the  world  the  drama  in  the  real 
sense  of  the  term,  as  a  distinct  subdivision  of  literature. 
The  unity  of  the  Book  of  Job  even  in  its  final 
form  does  not  go  further  than  the  attempt  to  connect 
the  three  strata  by  editorial  headings  attached  to  the 
chapters,  and  by  occasional  editorial  comments  and 
by  additions  to  gloss  over  discrepancies  In  the  various 
strata  of  which  the  book  consists.  The  main  concern 
of  the  final  editors,  indeed  their  only  concern,  was  to 
present  the  book  as  a  support  for  the  current  ortho- 
doxy. The  thought  of  regarding  the  completed  book 
as  a  progressive  and  systematically  constructed 
dramatic  composition  could  not  have  entered  the 


^  Some  Indologists  like  Weber  and  Windlsch  were  inclined  to  ascribe 
the  Sanskrit  drama,  which  does  not  make  its  appearance  till  the  first  century 
of  our  era,  to  contact  with  the  Greeks,  but  this  view  has  now  been  abandoned. 
See  Macdonnell,  Sanskrit  Literature,  p.  416. 

176 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

mind  of  the  final  editors,  for  the  sufficient  reason  that 
as  Orientals  they  were  under  the  sway  of  the  oriental 
method  of  composition  as  a  gradual  growth.  If  we 
wish  to  specify  the  literary  character  of  the  book 
more  precisely  than  by  designating  it  as  a  composite 
philosophical  poem,  we  may  call  it  a  composite 
Symposium,  but  never  a  drama. 

All  efforts  to  present  the  Book  of  Job  as  a  drama 
rest  on  the  assumption  now  shown  to  be  erroneous  that 
the  book  is  a  literary  unit.  This  applies  to  the  two 
recent  attempts  by  Prof.  R.  G.  Moulton  ^'^  and  by  Dr. 
H.  M.  Kallen,  ^^°  as  it  does  to  all  earlier  ones.  Prof. 
Moulton  does  not  go  so  far  as  to  divide  the  book  into 
acts  and  scenes  as  did  Theodor  Beza  as  far  back  as 
1587,  but  he  does  assume  dramatis  personae  and  in- 
troduces "asides"  and  other  stage  directions  in  his 
division  of  the  book  into  fifty  continuous  sections  in- 
stead of  into  chapters.  Now  all  this  is  as  foreign  to 
the  whole  character  of  the  book  as  possible.  Quite 
apart  from  the  total  lack  of  evidence  that  the  Jews  of 
post-exilic  days,  even  after  they  had  come  under 
Greek  influence,  ever  developed  the  drama  as  a  species 
of  literary  composition,  we  fail  to  penetrate  into  the 
spirit  of  Job  by  regarding  it  as  a  composition,  logi- 
cally and  progressively  unfolding  a  theme  as  is  de- 
manded by  the  canons  of  dramatic  composition. 
The  point  is  that  the  Book  of  Job  consists  of  a  founda- 
tion on  which  a  number  of  independent  super-struc- 
tures have  been  erected.  There  is  no  logical  develop- 
ment of  a  theme,  but  merely  a  series  of  discussions  of 

^  The  Book  oj  Job  in  the  "Modern  Reader's  Bible"  (New  York,  1896). 
130  The  Book  oj  Job  as  a  Greek  Tragedy  (New  York,  1918). 

12  177 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

one  and  the  same  theme  from  various  angles.  All 
attempts,  therefore,  to  distinguish  in  the  book  a  pro- 
gressive seriesof  solutions  for  the  mystery  of  suffering,  ^^^ 
corresponding  in  a  measure  to  the  successive  acts  of 
a  drama,  are  doomed  to  failure.  Even  in  the  original 
Book  of  Job  there  is  no  such  progressive  evolution  to 
be  noted  as  a  dramatic  composition  assumes.  The 
speeches  are  not  in  the  nature  of  logical  replies,  an- 
swering point  for  point  and  opposing  argument  by 
counter  argument.  There  are  only  fou;-  distinct  points 
brought  forward  by  the  three  friends  ^^^  and  these  are 
emphasized  by  all,  irrespective  of  Job's  replies.  Nor 
is  there  any  progress  in  the  setting  forth  of  the  problem 
as  we  proceed  from  one  series  of  speeches  to  the  next. 
In  fact,  it  would  be  nearer  to  the  truth  to  call  one 
series  of  speeches  an  imitation  of  the  other,  the  three 
series  representing  so  many  endeavors  to  present  the 
same  thoughts  and  the  same  arguments  in  different 
fashion.  This  applies  also  to  the  ten  speeches  of  Job. 
In  all  of  them  he  complains  of  his  sufferings,  in  all  he 
protests  his  innocence  and  in  all  he  hurls  back  the  re- 
bukes which  the  three  friends  introduce  in  their 
speeches  with  counter  accusations  of  lack  of  sympathy 
and  with  ironical  or  bitter  retorts.  Job  in  his  replies 
does  not  specifically  take  into  account  what  Eliphaz, 
Bildad  or  Zophar  has  said.  One  could  take  any  of  his 
speeches  and  transfer  it  to  another  place  in  the  Sym- 
posium without  affecting  the  argument.  Similarly,  the 
reply  to  Eliphaz 's  first  speech  would  fit  in  just  as  well 


^'^  Prof.  Moulton  in  his  Introduction  assumes  five  solutions  successively 
brought  forward. 

"2  Above  p.  72. 

178 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

as  a  reply  to  a  speech  of  Bildad  or  Zophar;  and  so 
with  the  other  replies. 

In  view  of  all  this,  it  is  needless  to  enlarge  upon 
Dr.  Kallen's  theory  that  the  Book  of  Job  as  we  have 
it,  is  actually  based  on  the  model  of  a  Greek  tragedy, 
and  that  the  thought  of  writing  a  Jewish  drama  was 
suggested  to  a  Jewish  writer  by  having  witnessed  a 
production  of  a  play  of  Euripides  in  some  Greek  city. 
Prof.  Moulton  does  not  go  quite  so  far  and  contents 
himself  with  describing  Job  as  "Wisdom  Literature 
Dramatized,"  whereas  Dr.  Kallen  regards  the  book  as 
it  stands  written  as  a  drama,  not  only  with  acts  and 
scenes  of  action — although  there  is  no  action  in  any 
proper  sense — but  with  a  chorus  and  semi-chorus  and 
a  Deus  ex  machina  introduced  towards  the  close,  just 
as  in  a  drama  of  Euripides.  But  in  order  to  get  a 
"  drama  "  out  of  Job,  Kallen  takes  portions  of  speeches 
of  Job  and  arbitrarily  assigns  them  to  a  purely  hypo- 
thetical chorus  and  semi-chorus.  Yahweh  speaking  out 
of  the  whirlwind  corresponds,  according  to  Dr.  Kallen, 
to  the  appearance  of  the  Deity  in  a  Greek  play  ^^^  to 
pronounce  a  final  verdict  or  to  unravel  the  prob- 
lem of  the  play.  All  this  is  ingenious  but  entirely 
beside  the  mark.  The  theory  misconceives  the  entire 
spirit  of  the  book  both  in  its  original  and  in  its  enlarged 
form.  Job  as  a  drama  is  devoid  of  meaning.  Job  as  a 
series  of  discussions  of  a  vital  religious  problem  grad- 


1^  In  order  to  carry  out  his  theory,  Dr.  Kallen  is  obliged  to  offer  a  trans- 
lation for  a  verb  in  the  epilogue  42,  6  for  which  there  is  no  warrant;  and  other 
liberties  are  taken  by  Dr.  Kallen  in  a  reconstruction  which  is  not  based  on  a 
critical  study  of  the  text.  Dr.  Kallen  follows  the  conventional  Authorized 
Version  without  apparently  realizing  that  hundreds  of  passages  are  now  differ- 
ently rendered  by  modern  scholars  on  the  basis  of  critical  researches. 

179 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

ually  taking  shape  under  many  hands  with  the 
problem  viewed  from  various  angles — unorthodox 
and  orthodox — is  full  of  significance.  Such  a  compos- 
ite production  is  precisely  what  we  should  expect  to 
find  issuing  out  of  the  intellectual  and  religious  at- 
mosphere prevailing  in  Palestine  from  the  close  of  the 
fifth  century  b.  c.  and  continuing  to  the  threshold 
of  the  Christian  era. 

If  there  is  any  influence  of  Greek  literary  models 
to  be  sought  in  Job  it  lies  in  the  Greek  Symposium  as  a 
medium  for  the  discussion  of  philosophic  theories — 
always  involving  religious  beliefs — which  becomes 
through  Plato  such  a  characteristic  division  of  Greek 
literature.  But  even  this  hypothesis  is  entirely  un- 
necessary, since  we  can  account  for  the  book  without 
it.  At  the  same  time,  if  we  could  bring  down  the  date 
of  the  original  Book  of  Job  to  as  late  a  period  as  the 
close  of  the  fourth  century  b.  c.  when  Greek  influence 
even  of  a  literary  character  could  be  assumed  to 
have  penetrated  into  Palestine,  there  would  be  noth- 
ing inherently  improbable  in  the  conjecture  that  the 
Symposium  in  Job  was  suggested  by  the  Greek  dia- 
logue. ^^*  We  have  seen,  however,  that  we  need  not  go 
further  down  than  the  end  of  the  fifth  century  to 
account  for  the  rise  of  an  independent  group  of  think- 
ers among  the  Jews,  free  enough  from  conventional 
views  to  seek  an  answer  for  the  mystery  of  innocent 
suffering  in  a  world  created  by  a  Power  conceived  of 
as  just  and  merciful. 


^'^  It  should  be  remembered,  however,  that  we  have  the  dialogue  in 
ancient  Babylonian  Literature.  See  a  specimen  in  a  German  translation  by 
Ebbeling  {Mitteilungen  Der  Deutsch  Orientgesellschaft,  No.  58,  pp.  35-38.) 


180 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

If  we  could  discover  traces  of  Greek  philosophical 
thought  and  speculation  in  any  part  of  Job,  one  could 
more  readily  admit  Greek  influence,  but  though  some 
scholars  incline  to  see  in  the  skeptical  trend  of  the 
original  book  the  reaction  of  the  freedom  of  the  Greek 
mind  in  boldly  investigating  in  a  rationaHstic  spirit 
the  phenomena  of  nature  and  of  human  experiences,  it 
must  be  confessed  that  the  evidence  is  not  satisfactory. 
It  is  certainly  not  decisive,  just  as  the  endeavor  to  see 
in  the  philosophy  of  Koheleth  the  influence  of  the 
Stoic  attitude  or  of  Epicurean  thought  is  futile.  ^^^ 
Perhaps  in  a  very  general  way  one  may  conjecture 
that  a  wave  of  rationalism  spread  over  the  ancient 
Orient  in  the  fifth  and  succeeding  centuries  which 
would  account  for  the  rise  of  such  a  remarkable  re- 
Hgious  system  as  Zoroastrianism.  ^^^  Intellectual 
currents  having  their  rise  in  Greece  may  possibly  have 
flowed  eastwards  even  before  the  Greek  armies  of 
Alexander  brought  about  a  free  interchange  between 
Orient  and  Occident  that  was  destined  to  be  fraught 
with  such  significant  results.  In  this  way  we  may  help 
to  account  for  the  strength  which  free  thought,  un- 
trammelled by  piety  or  tradition,  must  have  acquired 
in  Palestine  before  circles  could  have  arisen  bold 
enough  to  challenge  generally  accepted  beliefs. 

IX 

ZOROASTRIANISM  AND  THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

The  mention  of  the  new  religious  system  which 
arose  in  Persia  in  the  sixth  century  and  became  the 

13*  See  A  Gentle  Cynic,  p.  147  seq. 

^'Or  more  correctly  Zarathushtrlanism,  since  the  founder's  name  is 
Zarathushtra,  of  which  Zoroaster  is  a  corrupt  form. 

181 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

official  religion  during  the  reign  of  Darius  I  (522-486 
B.C.)  suggests  a  brief  inquiry  as  to  the  possible  influ- 
ence of  the  main  doctrine  of  Zoroastrianism,  resting 
on  a  dualistic  division  of  government  of  the  universe 
on  the  attitude  towards  evil  in  the  original  Book  of  Job. 
The  suggestion  has  frequently  been  made  ^^^  that  the 
figure  of  Satan  in  the  prologue  has  some  affinities  with 
Ahriman  of  Zoroastrianism  who  is  held  responsible  for 
the  existence  of  evil  in  this  world  created  by  Ahura- 
mazda,  a  beneficent  Power,  possessed  of  all  attributes 
except  that  of  omnipotence,  which  is  limited  by  his 
lack  of  control  over  Ahriman,  the  independent  power 
of  evil.  Ahuramazda  is  all-good,  all-wise,  all-just  and 
all-merciful,  but  he  is  engaged  in  a  constant  struggle 
with  Ahriman,  and  not  till  he  overcomes  the  evil 
power,  which  will  be  after  the  lapse  of  aeons,  will 
Ahuramazda  also  become  the  all-powerful. 

It  is  indeed  conceivable  that  this  interesting  and 
suggestive  doctrine  which  thus  proposed  to  solve  the 
problem  of  how  evil  came  into  the  world  should  have 
been  a  contributing  factor  in  bringing  the  central 
theme  in  the  Book  of  Job  to  the  front.  The  Jews  came 
into  close  contact  with  Zoroastrianism  during  the  Per- 
sian control  of  the  East  which  stretched  from  the 
Euphrates  to  the  Nile ;  and  it  is  widely  held  by  scholars 
that  the  emphasis  in  one  of  the  orations  included  in 
the  miscellaneous  collection  grouped  under  the  name 
of  Isaiah  and  dating  from  various  periods  between  720 

"^  See  Stave,  Einfiuss  des  Parsismus  aufdas  Judenthum  (Haarlem,  1898); 
also  Cheyne  Origin  and  Religious  Contents  of  the  Psalter.  (London,  1891),  pp. 
394-409  for  other  aspects  of  the  influence  of  Zoroastrianism  on  later  Jewish 
doctrines,  as  found  in  certain  Psalms  and  in  other  late  Biblical  writings.  See 
also,  above  p.  55. 

182 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

B.C. to  Circa  300  b.  c,  on  Yahweh  as  the  "creator 
of  light  and  darkness"  (Isaiah  45,  7)  reflects  the 
position  of  the  strict  monotheist  against  any 
division  in  the  Divine  control  of  the  universe. 
Ahuramazda  is  the  god  of  Ught  in  the  Persian  system, 
and  Ahriman  is  the  power  of  darkness.  The  contrast 
between  Judaism  and  Zoroastrianism  was  thus  forced 
upon  the  attention  of  the  Jews  in  the  fifth  arid  succeed- 
ing centuries.  The  dualism  of  Zoroastrianism  must 
be  looked  upon  as  the  Persian  attempt  to  find  a  way 
out  of  a  dilemma  which  necessarily  arises  when  ethical 
traits  become  the  significant  attributes  of  a  Power  of 
universal  scope,  just  as  the  doctrine  of  the  "suffering 
servant,"  explaining  that  injustice  must  be  endured 
by  Israel  as  a  vicarious  punishment  for  the  sins  of  the 
nations,  represents  a  Jewish  solution.  This  point  of 
view,  though  not  as  yet  brought  forward  in  the  Book 
of  Job,  leads  in  its  further  unfolding  to  the  Pauline 
doctrine  of  salvation  for  the  individual — and  even- 
tually for  the  entire  world — through  the  acceptance  of 
Christ,  the  only  and  beloved  Son  of  God,  whose  death 
on  the  cross  was  a  vicarious  sacrifice  to  redeem  the 
world  from  sin,  inherited  from  the  first  parents  of  the 
human  race. 

Beyond,  however,  the  assumption  that  the  spread 
of  Zoroastrianism  helped  to  focus  the  dilemma,  and 
led  to  the  further  development  of  Satan  from  a  semi- 
independent  being  in  the  Book  of  Job  and  in  the 
prophecies  of  Zechariah  into  a  wilful  opponent  of  God 
as  he  appears  in  the  full-fledged  doctrine  of  an  inde- 
pendent tempter,  and  as  the  cause  of  bringing  sin  into 
the  world,  we  are  hardly  justified  in  going.     It  was 

183 


r 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

natural  and,  as  we  have  seen,  inevitable  tjiat  the  prob- 
lem discussed  in  the  Book  of  Job  with  such  freedom 
from  traditional  and  pietistic  restraint  should  arise 
among  the  Jews;  and  it  is  significknt  th^t^this  prob- 
lem of  evil  is  one  which  is  fun4amental  tdt  all  the 
great  religious  systems  of  the'  ancient  world.  We  en- 
counter it  in  as  fully  intensified  a  form  in  the  distant 
East,  where  it  leads  to  Buddhism  which  rests  on  the 
assumption  that  the  source  of  all  evil  is  the  desire  of 
life  and  that,  therefore,  the  only  hope  of  overcoming 
sorrow,  suif ering  and  wickedness  is  to  free  oneself  from 
this  desire.  Nirvana  involving,  with  the  complete  sup- 
pression of  all  desires,  the  extinction  of  consciousness 
is  the  logical  outcome  of  the  view  taken  of  the  cause  of 
evil  in  Buddhism,  as  the  doctrine  of  retribution  in 
another  world  for  the  evils  and  sufferings  of  this  one 
represents  a  logical  expression  of  a  faith  which  looks 
upon  life  as  a  bounty  and  a  gift  of  Divine  grace. 

For  the  circle  from  which  emanated  the  original 
Book  of  Job,  the  problem  was,  however,  insoluble, 
since  it  could  neither  ascribe  the  existence  of  suffering 
and  evil  to  any  other  Power  except  Yahweh,  nor  bring 
Itself  to  the  point  of  regarding  life  itself  as  an  evil. 
Those  in  misery  and  despair  should  be  released.  (3,20.) 
Job  longs  for  death  merely  because  he  suffers,  but 
nowhere  does  he  express  the  view  that  life  itself  is  an 
evil.  ^^^  The  original  book  begins  and  ends  with  the 
question  "Why."  Its  philosophy  stops  short  with  a 
cry  of  despair, 

"Why  do  the  wicked  flourish? 
Grow  old  and  even  wax  mighty?"    (21,  7.) 

^  Cf.  the  beautiful  passage  10,  8-12  (above  p.  150),  descriptive  of  God's 
grace  in  creating  man. 

184 


tHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 


JOB  AND  PROMETHEUS 

The  spirit  of  the  discussions  in  Job  is  genuinely 
Hebraic.  To  account  for  its  philosophy  we  need  not 
go  outside  of  Palestine.  The  attitude  of  the  circle 
whose  views  and  outlook  on  life  are  reflected  in  the 
original  book  is  an  outgrowth  of  religious  conditions 
peculiar  to  Palestine  in  the  post-exiHc  period.  Even 
the  skepticism  is  distinctively  Jewish,  as  can  best  be 
seen  by  a  comparison  that  naturally  suggests  itself 
between  Job  and  the  Prometheus  Bound  of  Aeschy- 
lus. ^'^  Prometheus  like  Job  is  a  great  questioner. 
He  betrays  the  same  rebellious  spirit  as  Job,  but  the 
Greek  dramatist  approaches  the  subject  in  an  entirely 
different  manner.  Prometheus  defies  the  gods. 
Greek  rationalism  led  to  the  view  that  the  gods  are 
hostile  to  human  progress,  because  of  the  fear  that 
intellectual  advance  may  lead  man  to  become  inde- 
pendent of  the  gods.  Knowledge  gives  man  the 
strength  to  break  the  shackles  with  which  man  by  the 
overpowering  forces  of  nature  is  bound.  Both  Job  and 
Prometheus  typify  the  suflFering  to  which  human  flesh 
is  heir,  but  according  to  the  Greek  view  suffering  is 
due  to  man's  defiance  of  the  gods.  The  conception 
of  the  gods  is  still  that  of  early  antiquity  that  they 
represent  strong  but  arbitrary  forces.  Such  forces 
demand  not  only  blind  obedience  from  man,  but  that 
he  should  willingly  submit  to  their  tyrannous   con- 

^  The  comparison  has  often  been  instituted,  e.g.^  by  Addis,  Job  (Tem- 
ple Bible),  p.  xiv.  See  also  for  a  larger  treatment  of  the  theme,  Owen,  Tht 
Five  Great  Skeptical  Dramas  of  History  (London,  1896)  chapter  II. 

185 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

trol.  Prometheus  is  the  benefactor  of  man,  but  he  is 
also  a  rebel  toward  the  gods.  He  leads  man  on  the 
road  to  progress,  but  this  leadership  involves  an  op- 
position to  the  gods.  Fire,  the  symbol  of  progress,  is 
stolen  by  him  from  heaven  and  against  the  will  of 
the  gods.  Hence  the  tortures  that  follow  which 
typify  the  martyrdom  of  man  in  his  struggle  to  rise 
above  nature. 

There  is  a  trace  of  this  spirit  among  the  Hebrews 
in  the  third  chapter  of  Genesis  (v.  22)  where  God  is 
portrayed  as  begrudging  man  the  knowledge  of  good 
and  evil  and  expressing  a  fear  that  man  may  discover 
the  tree  of  life  and  become  immortal,  like  God  Him- 
self.   The  strange  phrase, 

"Behold  man  is  become  as  one  of  us."    (Genesis  3,  22.) 

suggests  a  fear  of  advancing  man  on  the  part  of  the 
Deity,  which  is  not  unlike  the  jealous  mood  ascribed  in 
the  philosophy  of  Aeschylus  to  the  gods  who  wish  to 
keep  man  under  their  control.    There  is  nothing  of 
this  spirit,  however,  in  Job.    The  conflict  is  here  be-  \ 
tween  the  conventional  conception  of  a  just  and  merci-    1 
ful  Providence  and  the  sad  reality  of  innocent  suf-    j 
fering  and  of  all  manner  of  injustice  in  this  world^^ 
The  setting  of  the  problem  is  peculiarly  Hebraic  in 
Job,  as  it  is  characteristically  Greek  in  the  drama  of 
Aeschylus.  -  The  skepticism  in  Job  presupposes  the  . 
development  of  the  god  idea  along  ethical  lines.    It 
arises  from  the  struggle  of  a^religious  soul  to  reconcile 
his  faith  with  the  facts  of  experience.    The.  writers 
in  Job  while  rebellious  in  spirit  never  pass  beyond  the 
limits  of  faith.     They  merely  protest  that  the  prob- 

186 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

km  with  which  Job  wrestles  cannot  be  solved  by  the 
conventional  arguments  that  suffering  comes  as  the 
result  of  wrongdoing  and  that  those  who  merit  pun- 
ishment receive  it.  The  last  word  of  the  popular 
religion  of  the  Greeks  is  that  the  gods  are  strong. 
Their  will  prevails.  Man  must  submit.  Hence  the 
inevitable  conflict  between  religion  and  philosophy 
in  Greece,  which  leads  eventually  to  the  overthrow  of 
the  Greek  religion.  The  god  idea  of  the  Hebrews  tri- 
umphs, despite  the  mental  conflict  and  anguish  to 
which  it  gives  rise.  Faith  in  a  just  Deity  overcomes 
philosophic  doubt,  not  indeed  by  finding  a  solution 
for  the  mysteries  of  human  experience,  but  by  a  con- 
fession that  man  is  not  strong  enough  to  penetrate  the 
ways  of  gods. 

This  answer,  to  be  sure,  is  not  given  by  Job.  It 
is  suggested  in  the  speech  of  the  friends,  by  Eliphaz 
when  he  asks : 

"Hast  thou  overheard  the  secret  of  God? 
And  hast  thou  monopolized  wisdom?"   (15,  8.) 

It  is  hinted  at  by  Bildad  when  he  points  out: 

"  For  we  have  no  knowledge  of  yesterday, 
Since  our  days  are  a  shadow  upon  earth."   (8,  9.) 

It  is  more  directly  put  forward  by  Zophar : 

"Canst  thou  penetrate  to  the  essence  of  God? 
Attain  the  bounds  of  Shaddai?"    (11,  7.) 

but  the  full  force  of  the  argument  is  brought  to  bear 
upon  the  problem  by  the  nature  poems,  added  for  the 
express  purpose  of  showing  that  in  the  presence  of  the 
evidence  of  God's  supreme  Power  in  nature  and  in  the 
animal  world,  so  far  beyond  comprehension  and  too 
mysterious  to  be  fathomed  by  men,  an  attitude  of 

187 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

humiliation  is  becoming;  and  this  consciousness  of 
man's  puniness  will  lead  him  to  take  to  faith  as  his 
last  refuge. 

This  solution,  in  full  accord  with  the  orthodoxy- 
defended  in  the  two  appendices,  stamps  the  Book  of 
Job  in  its  final  form  as  distinctively  Hebraic,  even 
more  so  than  the  book  was  in  its  earlier  stage. 

XI 

THE  MESSAGE  OF  JOB  TO  THE  PRESENT  AGE 

It  is  not  surprising,  that  by  the  verdict  of  poets, 
thinkers  and  critics  of  all  lands  and  of  every  age,  the 
Book  of  Job  has  been  accorded  a  place  quite  by  it- 
self. Though  misunderstood  and  subject  to  mis- 
interpretation by  the  traditional  view  that  grew  up 
around  the  book,  its  impressiveness  is  independent  of 
the  view  that  we  take  of  its  origin  and  growth.  Even 
without  penetrating  to  its  deeper  meaning,  the  mere 
beauty  of  its  diction  throughout  all  three  strata  and 
the  dignity  of  its  stanzas,  whether  correctly  grasped 
or  distorted  by  an  erroneous  exegesis,  sufiice  to  make 
a  universal  appeal.  Job  belongs  to  those  choice  pro- 
ductions— few  in  number — that  take  their  place  out- 
side of  the  environment  in  which  they  arise  and  be- 
come the  possession  of  humanity  at  large.  Like  the 
dramas  of  Euripides  and  Aeschylus  and  the  poems  of 
Horace,  the  immortal  productions  of  Dante  and 
Milton,  like  Shakespeare's  Hamlet  and  Goethe's 
Faust,  the  Book  of  Job  belongs  to  all  the  ages. 

As  one  of  the  earliest  of  attempts  to  deal  with  the 
most  perplexing  of  religious  problems,  it  has  exer- 

i88 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

cised  a  profound  influence  on  the  literature  of  West- 
ern nations.  ^^^  One  can  trace  that  influence  in  all 
the  great  poems  and  dramas  of  the  Western  world 
that  deal  with  the  tragedy  of  human  suffering  and  of 
human  wrongs,  whether  we  turn  to  Dante's  Divina 
Commedia  or  to  Milton's  Paradise  Lost  and  Regained, 
to  Shakespeare's  Hamlet  or  to  Goethe's  Faust.  The 
philosophy  of  Job  has  colored  the  thought  of  the 
greatest  thinkers  from  Spinoza  and  the  English  Deists 
down  to  Schopenhauer  and  Nietzsche.  Optimists  and 
pessimists  alike  have  made  their  appeal  to  Job  and 
have  found  in  the  book  a  confirmation  of  their  views  or 
a  support  for  their  outlook  on  life.  Above  all  it  has 
been  a  source  of  consolation  to  troubled  souls,  bowed 
down  by  grief  and  sorrow,  though — one  must  sadly 
confess — the  solace  has  generally  been  based  on 
passages  that  have  been  misunderstood  and  in  some 
cases  wilfully  distorted  by  an  uncritical  tradition. 
Can  it  still  render  that  service  when  read  and  inter- 
preted in  the  light  of  modern  criticism,  or  must  we 
limit  ourselves  to  an  appreciation  of  Job  as  a  lit- 
erary masterpiece? 

\The  answer  depends  upon  the  mood  in  which  we 
pproach  it.  If  we  are  willing  to  regard  the  Sympo- 
sium as  a  portrayal  of  an  inner  struggle  which  all 
must  face  who  experience  grief  and  disappointment, 
we  can,  while  recognizing  that  the  original  book  offers 
no  solution  for  the  problem  which  forms  the  central 
theme,  derive  a  strengthening  of  our  faith  in  the  ul- 


"°See,  e.g.,  the  many  indications  of  this  influence  in  English  writers 
from  Langland  and  Chaucer  to  Browning  and  Longfellow  given  by  W.  E.  Addis 
in  his  edition  of  Job  in  the  Temple  Bible,  pp.  143-152. 

189 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

timate  triumph  of  right  and  justice  from  the  evidence 
furnished  in  the  nature  poems  that  there  is  design  in 
this  world,  even  though  man  cannot  fathom  the  mys- 
tery of  his  own  life — ^which  involves  suffering  without 
apparent  justification,  as  well  as  guilt  which  goes  un- 
punished. We  may  accept  the  implication  of  the 
original  book  that  the  problem  is  insoluble,  and  yet 
conquer  our  skepticism  by  a  realization  that  human  life 
is  no  more  mysterious  than  the  mystery  in  the  regular 
order  of  the  phenomena  of  the  heavens.  The  writers 
of  the  nature  poems  have  an  inkling  of  the  struggle 
for  existence  which  is  a  part  of  the  natural  law.  They 
suggest  that,  since  the  struggle  leads  to  the  preserva- 
tion of  life  and  to  the  development  of  strength,  our 
gaze  should  be  directed  towards  the  outcome  of  the 
struggle  as  a  proof  of  higher  design,  rather  than  on  the 
struggle  itself. 

The  late  Prof.  Genung  many  years  ago  called  the 
Book  of  Job  "An  Epic  of  the  Inner  Life."i«  If  we 
make  allowance  for  his  futile  attempt  to  find  a  pro- 
gressive  treatment  of  the  central  theme  in  Job  in 
dramatic  form,  due  to  his  still  being  under  the  sway  of 
the  supposed  literary  unity  of  the  composition,  the 
designation  may  be  accepted  as  a  particularly  happy 
one.  The  sympathetic  portrayal  of  the  inner  struggle 
of  a  troubled  soul  makes  its  appeal  as  strongly  today 
as  it  did  when  it  received  its  definite  shape  over  2,000 
years  ago.  That  is  the  human  side  of  the  book.  In 
the  same  way,  the  overcoming  of  this  struggle  by  a  su- 

1*1  The  title  of  his  translation  of  Job,  published  in  1891,  to  which  he 
prefixes  an  introductory  essay  of  great  charm  and  of  sympathetic  insight  into 
the  spirit  of  the  Book  of  Job,  even  though  much  in  the  book  is  now  antiquated 
and  his  general  conception  of  Job  is  untenable. 

190 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

preme  effort  of  faith  to  rise  superior  to  it  through  the 
concentration  of  our  thought  on  the  larger  manifesta- 
tions of  mysterious  forces  at  work  in  the  universe  can 
still  find  a  response  even  in  our  days,  dominated  by  a 
scientific  spirit  which  seeks  for  law  in  nature  and  in 
the  life  of  man,  rather  than  for  the  expression  of  a 
Divine  will.  That  is  the  spiritual  side  of  the  book, 
which  comes  to  remind  us  that  the  discovery  of  law 
does  not  solve  the  mystery  involved  in  the  existence 
of  the  law. 

The  Symposium,  with  its  abandonment  of  the 
problem  as  one  incapable  of  solution  through  the  pro- 
cesses of  reasoning,  and  the  nature  poems  with  their 
insistence  upon  humble  faith  in  a  Divine  will  (of  which 
nature  furnishes  the  evidence)  as  the  only  solution  of 
the  problem — both  have  their  message  for  us  of  the 
present  day.  The  arguments  of  the  three  friends,  as 
the  two  new  thoughts  contributed  by  Elihu,  have 
merely  a  transitory  value.  They  are  attempts  to 
solve  the  problem  which  have  no  more  force  than  the 
many  other  endeavors  that  have  since  been  made  in 
philosophical  systems  and  in  theological  discussions, 
to  pierce  a  mystery  that  is  genuinely  beyond  human 
comprehension,  but  which,  despite  his  failures,  man 
is  impelled  by  a  hidden  spring  in  his  nature  to  persist 
in  attacking. 

Ruskin  ^^^  with  remarkable  insight  recognized 
that  the  principal  lesson  to  be  taught  by  the  Book  of 
Job  is  "the  holy  and  humbling  influence  of  natural 
science  on  the  human  heart."     He  clearly  had  in 


^*^  In  his  Stones  of  Venice,  Chapter  II,  §  32. 

191 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

mind  the  great  nature  poems  at  the  close  of  the  book 
when  he  gave  this  striking  verdict. 

If  a  great  scientist  of  our  time — the  late  DuBois- 
Reymond — could  utter  as  the  final  word  of  a  life 
devoted  to  the  quest  of  truth,  "Ignoramus,  Ignora- 
bimus, "  ^^^  what  is  that  except  expressing  in  different 
language  the  final  word  in  the  immortal  Book  of  Job 
that  faith  in  the  presence  of  unfathomable  mystery 
is  the  only  secure  foundation  on  which  we  can  build 
our  lives  ? 

Such  faith  rises  superior  to  argument  and  specu- 
lation, because  it  realizes  that  the  highest  truth 
accessible  to  man  is  never  a  solid  that  can  be  grasped, , 
but  an  atmosphere  to  be  breathed.  ' 

1^  Ueber  die  Grenzen  des  Naturerkennens.  (Sixth  edition.  Leipzig, 
1884).    p.  46. 


PART  II 

THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 
A  NEW  TRANSLATION 


13 


Explanatory  Note  : — In  order  to  avoid  the  cumber- 
some use  of  more  than  two  figures  in  the  consecutive 
enumeration  of  the  notes  to  the  translation,  it  has  seemed 
preferable  to  group  them  in  separate  series,  each  series 
running  from  i  to  99. 

In  referring  to  the  notes  it  will,  therefore,  be  neces- 
sary to  indicate  the  page  with  the  number  of  the  note. 

Verses  that  represent  later  ampHfications  of  the  text 
are  placed  in  brackets;  and  such  verses  or  lines  or  parts 
of  Hnes  that  are  clearly  interpolated,  interrupting  the 
context,  or  that  represent  variants  or  comments  to  the 
text  are  given  in  connection  with  the  notes.  In  some 
cases  where  there  is  a  doubt  as  to  the  exact  character 
of  the  addition  to  the  text,  preference  has  been  given 
to  placing  the  addition  within  the  text,  but  enclosed 
in  brackets. 

All  words  or  parts  of  lines,  to  be  recognized  as  "super- 
fluous" by  the  principles  laid  down  in  the  study  of  the 
book  (chapters  III  and  IV)  are  likewise  relegated  to 
the  notes. 

To  facilitate  comparison  with  the  original  text  and 
with  other  translations  of  the  Book  of  Job,  every  fifth 
verse  is  noted  on  the  margin;  and  in  case  of  the  omission 
of  an  entire  verse  or  verses,  the  number  of  the  verse  pre- 
ceding and  that  following  the  omission  is  likewise  noted 
on  the  margin. 

Words  added  in  the  translation  and  that  are  not  in 
the  original  are  placed  in  brackets.  All  deviations  from 
the  original  in  the  revised  text  on  which  my  translation 
is  based  are  indicated  in  the  notes. 

The  abbreviation  AV  means  the  authorized  (or  King 
James)  version  of  the  Bible  (161 1);  RV  is  the  revised 
version  of  1885.  Special  attention  is  called  to  the  diverg- 
ence in  the  enumeration  of  the  verses  in  Chapters  40  and 
41  in  the  AV  and  RV,  (as  well  as  in  other  English  transla- 
tions dependent  upon  these)  from  the  enumeration  in  the 
Hebrew  text.  The  first  poem  on  the  crocodile  is  in  the 
Hebrew  Text  40,  25-41,  4,  whereas  in  the  AV  and  RV  the 
enumeration  is  41,  1-12;  in  the  second  poem  41,  5-13  of 
the  Hebrew  Text  =  4i,  13-21  of  AV  and  RV;  and  in  the 
third  poem  41,  14-26  =  41,  22-34  of  AV  and  RV. 


I 

THE  STORY  OF  JOB 

(Chapters  i  and  2) 

There  was  a  man  in  the  land  of  Uz  ^  whose  namei, 
was  Job;  and  that  man  was  pious  and  up  right,  ^  God- 
fearing and  removed  from  evil;'  and  seven  sons  and 
three  daughters  were  bom  unto  him.  His  possessions 
were  seven  thousand  sheep  and  three  thousand  camels, 
and  five  hundred  yoke  of  oxen,  and  five  hundred  she- 
asses  and  a  very  great  household  ;^  so  that  the  man 
was  greater  than  any  of  the  sons  of  the  East.*^ 


^  There  can  be  no  doubt  that  the  author  places  the  home 
of  Job  in  northern  Arabia,  however  we  are  to  explain  the  name 
Uz.  From  the  three  6ccurrences  of  the  name  in  genealogical 
lists  Gen.  10,  23  (P.  'document);  22,  21  (J.  document)  36,  28 
(P.  document)  as  well  as  from  Lamentations  4,  21  where  "dweller 
of  the  land  of  Uz  "  appears  in  parallelism  to  "daughter  of  Edom," 
we  may  further  specify  that  Uz  is  a  district  or  section  of  Edom. 

2  Literally  "perfect  and  straight,"  but  the  "perfection" 
intended,  as  the  following  synonymous  expressions  show,  had 
reference  to  Jo*bVptfety  and  the  upright  life  that  he  had  led. 

*  "God-fearing,^  used  of  Abraham  (Gen.  22,  12  J.  Docu- 
ment) and  frequently  in  Psalms  and  Proverbs.  "Removed  from 
evil"  is  found  in  Proverbs  14,  16. 

*  More  literally  "  retinue,"  occurring  also  Gen.  26,  14, 
hardly  "work  animals"  as  Ehrlich,  Ravdglossen  zur  Hebraischen 
Bibel  6  p.  180,  proposes. 

''"Sons  of  the  East"  here  used  as  a  general  designation 
of  those  dwelling  to  the  East  of  Palestine  proper.  "Greater" 
(or  greatest)  means  the  wealthiest  and,  therefore,  the  most 
renowned  and  influential. 

197 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

And  His  sons  were  in  the  habit  of  arranging  a 
feast,  each  one  upon  his  day;  ^  and  they  would  invite 
their  three  sisters  to  eat  and  drink  with  them.^  And 
5  the  feast  days  would  make  their  round,  and  Job 
would  direct  all  of  them  ^  to  bring  burnt  offerings  at 
sunrise^  according  to  their  number,  for  Job  was  wont  to 
say,  "It  may  be  that  my  sons  have  sinned,  and  cursed^° 
God  in  their  mind."  "    Thus  Job  acted  at  all  times. 

Now  it  fell  on  a  certain  day,  when  the  Sons  of 
God  ^^  came  to  gather  around  Yahweh,^^  that  Satan  ^* 

^Text  has  a  superfluous  "in  the  house,"  a  gloss  to  indi- 
cate that  the  feast  took  place  in  the  house  of  each  one  of  the 
sons  in  turn  during  an  annual  holyday  week. 

"^  But  not  at  the  same  table  with  them.  Men  and  women 
did  not  sit  together  in  the  ancient  Orient. 

^  The  ordinary  translation  "  sanctify  "  misses  the  point.  The 
verb  implies  giving  directions  to  prepare  for  the  holy  sacrifice. 

^Literally  "he  arose  early  in  the  morning  and  offered 
burnt-offerings" — a  trace  of  the  custom  of  greeting  the  rising 
sun  by  ceremonial  observances. 

^^Text  here  as  well  as  2, 5  and  9  "bless,"euphemistically  sub- 
stituted for  " curse  "  by  some  pious  editor.  The  Greek  translation 
retains  the  original  reading,  though  curiously  enough  elsewhere,  as 
for  example,  I  Kings  21,  10,  it  is  the  Greek  translation  which 
euphemistically  substitutes  "bless"  for  the  Hebrew  "curse." 

^^ Literally  "in  their  heart,"  but  here,  as  throughout  the 
Old  Testament,  the  "heart"  is  the  seat  of  the  intellect.  To 
illustrate  the  extreme  to  which  Job's  piety  went,  he  is  repre- 
sented as  cleansing  his  sons  from  possible  sins  through  the 
sacrificial  rites,  for  fear  that  they  may  have  had  sinful  thoughts, 
while  celebrating  the  festival  week. 

^2 The  "Sons  of  God,"  as  its  occurrence  Gen.  6,  2  shows,  is 
an  expression  introduced  to  veil  an  early  polytheistic  conception 
of  Divine  government.  The  "Sons  of  God"  are  originally  the 
gods  who  control  the  universe,  and  who  with  the  rise  of  mono- 
theism became  inferior  divine  beings,  acting  as  messengers  and 
courtiers  who  stand  around  the  throne,  ready  to  do  the  bidding  of 
their  Divine  Master.   They  shade  over  into  the  angels  {angelos  = 

198 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

also  came  with  them,  and  Yahweh  said  to  Satan: 
"Whence  comest  thou?"  And  Satan  answered 
Yahweh:  "From  roaming  over  the  earth  in  all  direc- 
tions." ^^  And  Yahweh  said  to  Satan:  "Hast  thou 
observed  my  servant  Job,  that  there  is  none  like 
him  in  the  earth,  a  pious  and  upright  man,  God- 


messenger)    of  Jewish    and    Christian   theology.      See   further 
above,  p.  56  seq. 

^^This  specific  name — originally  the  national  deity  of  the 
Hebrews — as  against  general  designations  for  Deity,  El,  Eloah, 
Elohim  and  also  Shaddai  which  are  used  in  the  Symposium  and 
in  the  speeches  of  Elihu,  occurs  in  the  dialogue  between  God 
and  Satan  in  the  Prologue  (chapters  i  and  2),  and  in  Job's  pious 
utterance  (i,  21).  This  appears  to  be  a  quotation,  perhaps 
inserted  at  a  later  date,  since  2,  10  Job  uses  Elohim,  as  does  also 
Job's  wife  (2,  9).  Elohim  is  thus  used  1 1  times  in  the  Prologue. 
In  the  dialogue  with  Satan,  however,  the  specific  name  appears 
to  be  intentionally  introduced  to  correspond  to  the  specification 
of  the  tempter  by  a  personal  name.  For  the  same  reason 
Yahweh  is  introduced  in  the  editorial  headings  and  links  of 
chaps.  38-41,  and  in  the  prose  epilogues  42,  7-17  to  emphasize 
the  personal  phase  of  the  conception  of  Divine  intervention, 
through  speech  and  action.  The  single  occurrence  of  Yahweh 
in  the  philosophical  poem  proper  (12,  9)  is  either  a  slip,  or  to  be 
accounted  for  because  the  line  in  question  is  a  later  gloss.  See 
the  note  to  the  passage.  On  the  use  of  El,  Eloah,  Elohim  and 
Shaddai,  see  the  note  to  5,  17.  (p.  215) 

^^  Literally  "adversary"  and  used  in  historical  books  {e.g., 
I  Samuel  29,  4;  II  Samuel  19,  23 ;  I  Kings  5,  18;  1 1,  14),  to  desig- 
nate an  ordinary  human  adversary.  It  is  not  till  we  reach  late 
post-exilic  days  that  Satan  becomes  the  designation  of  a  semi- 
divine  being — an  "angel"  or  "messenger"  whose  special  func- 
tion it  is  to  act  as  an  accuser  and  a  tempter.  So  in  Zachariah, 
chap.  3,  I  seq.  and  I  Chronicles  21,1  where  Satan  as  the  tempter 
replaces  Yahweh  himself  in  the  earlier  parallel,  II  Samuel  24,  I. 
See  further  on  the  figure  of  Satan,  above,  p.  5^  seq. 

^^  Satan,  while  in  the  service  of  Yahweh,  is  free  to  go  where 
he  pleases;  he  is  not  on  the  same  plane  as  the  other  messengers 
of  gods,  though  he  appears  with  them. 

199 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

fearing  and  removed  from  evil?"     And  Satan  an- 
swered Yahweh;  "Is  Job  God-fearing  for  nought? 

loHast  Thou  not  protected  him  and  his  house  and  all 
that  he  has  ?  His  handiwork  Thou  hast  blessed,  and 
his  possessions  have  increased  in  the  land.  But  now 
put  forth  Thy  hand  and  strike  all  that  he  has  [and  see] 
whether  he  will  not  forthwith  ^^  curse  Thee."  And 
Yahweh  said  to  Satan :  "  Behold,  all  that  he  has  is  in 
thy  hands — only  against  himself  do  not  put  forth  thy 
hand."    And  Satan  left  the  presence  of  Yahweh. 

Now  it  fell  on  a  certain  day,  when  the  sons  [of 
Job]  1'  and  his  daughters  were  eating  and  drinking 
in  the  house  of  their  eldest  brother,^^  that  a  messenger 
came  to  Job  and  said:  "While  the  oxen  were  plough- 
ing, and  the  she-asses  grazing  at  their  side,  Sabeans  ^^ 

IS  made  a  raid  and  took  them  away.  They  slew  the 
servants,2o  and  I  barely  escaped  to  tell  thee."  While 
this  one  was  still  speaking,  another  came  and  said: 
"Lightning  ^^  fell  from  heaven,  and  burned  the  flock 
and  consumed  the  servants  and  I  alone  escaped  to 
tell  thee."  While  this  one  was  still  speaking,  another 
came  and  said :    "  Chaldaeans  22  in  three  divisions  ^ 


"Literally,  "to  thy  face"  which,  however,  has  the  force 
of  "  at  once,  forthwith."   Text  again  "bless."    See  above,  note  10. 

^^  So  read,  following  the  Greek  text. 

^*The  first  day,  therefore,  of  the  festival  week. 

^®  Here  used  in  the  general  sense  of  marauders. 

^®  Literally  "young  men"  which  the  Greek  text  interprets 
as  "shepherds,"  though  the  term  includes  also  other  servants. 

21  Literally,  "fire  of  God." 

^  Likewise  intended  here  as  a  general  term  for  plunderers. 

^  The  division  into  three  appears  to  have  been  the  common 
method  of  attack.  So,  e.g.,  Judges  7,  16  (Gideon);  Judges  9, 
43  (Abimelech);  I  Samuel  11,  11  (Saul). 

200 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

made  a  raid  upon  the  camels,  took  them  and  slew 
the  servants  and  I  barely  escaped  to  tell  thee."  While 
this  one  was  still  speaking,  another  came  and  said: 
"Thy  sons  and  daughters  were  eating  and  drink- 
ing in  the  house  of  their  eldest  brother,  when  a 
great  storm  came  from  the  wilderness  and  struck 
the  four  comers  of  the  house,  so  that  it  fell  on  the 
servants  who  were  killed,  and  I  barely  escaped  to 
tell  thee."  ^^ 


^  One  is  inclined  to  suspect  that  in  an  older  form  of  the 
story,  this  was  the  single  misfortune  brought  about  by  Satan  to 
test  Job's  piety,  since  v.  i8  clearly  harks  back  to  v.  13.  It  would 
be  natural  for  the  story  as  it  passed  from  mouth  to  mouth  to 
become  overweighted  with  further  incidents  and  details.  The 
single  misfortune  of  the  destruction  of  the  house  in  which  Job's 
children  were  feasting  would  be  a  sufficient  calamity  to  bring 
Job  to  the  extreme  of  grief.  While  the  dramatic  effect  is  height- 
ened by  having  one  piece  of  bad  news  follow  on  the  heels  of 
another,  there  is  an  inherent  weakness  in  the  situation  in  having 
the  "servants"  slain  four  times.  It  looks  as  though  the  four 
calamities  were  variants,  combined  in  consequence  of  the  nat- 
ural tendency  of  stories  to  grow  by  accretions,  and  for  the  pur- 
pose of  heightening  the  impression  of  Job's  patience.  If  this 
view  be  correct,  verses  18-19,  joining  on  to  v.  13,  would  origin- 
ally have  read  as  follows:  "And  a  messenger  came  to  Job  and 
said  *Thy  sons  and  daughters  were  eating  and  drinking  in  the 
house  of  their  eldest  brother,  when  a  great  storm  came  from  the 
wilderness,  struck  the  four  corners  of  the  house  which  fell  so 
that  they  {i.e.,  the  sons  and  daughters)  were  killed.' "  A  trace 
of  this  original  reading  appears  in  the  Greek  text  which  reads 
"And  the  house  fell."  The  words  "on  the  servants"  are  clearly 
out  of  place — introduced  merely  by  way  of  analogy,  after  the 
four  incidents,  originally  variants  of  one  another,  had  been  com- 
bined. Note  further  that  of  the  four  incidents  the  first  and  third 
are  occasioned  through  human  agencies;  the  second  and  fourth 
through  divine  intervention.  This  division  likewise  points  to 
two  series  of  variant  traditions  that  were  combined  in  the 
final  form. 


201 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

20      \  Then  Job  arose  and  tore  his  upper  garmentj^s 
and  cut  off  his  hair  ^6  and  prostrated  himself,^^  saying: 

"Naked  came  I  forth  from  my  mother's  womb, 
And  naked  shall  I  return  thither.^^ 
Yahweh  has  given,  and  Yahweh  has  taken; 
Blessed  be  the  name  of  Yahweh."  ^^ 

For  all  this,  Job  did  not  sin  and  uttered  no  re- 
proach ^°  against  God.  \ 
>  ^  Now  it  fell  on  a  certain  day  when  again  the  Sons 
of  God  came  to  gather  around  Yahweh,  that  Satan 
also  came  with  them.^^  And  Yahweh  said  to  Satan; 
"Whence  comest  thou?"  and  Satan  answered  Yah- 
weh; "  From  roaming  over  the  earth  in  all  directions  " ; 
and  Yahweh  said  to  Satan:     "Hast  thou  observed 

2^  The  tearing  off  of  the  upper  garment,  i.e.,  stripping  one- 
self to  the  waist  is  still  a  mourning  custom  among  the  Jews 
of  Persia. 

^^  Another  ancient  mourning  custom,  consisting  originally 
of  tearing  out  of  the  hair,  as  depicted  on  Egyptian  monuments. 
In  Babylonian  literature  we  also  come  across  descriptions  of 
violent  grief,  manifested  by  rending  of  one's  garments,  and 
tearing  one's  flesh. 

2^  An  attitude  of  prayer. 

2^  "Thither,"  a  veiled  expression  for  Sheol  or  the  nether 
world. 

2^  The  stanza  of  four  lines  is  poetic  in  form — a  snatch  of  a 
lamentation  hymn  or  of  a  prayer.  The  first  two  lines  appear 
to  be  quoted  in  Ecclesiastes  5,  14. 

'°The  word  rendered  "reproach"  occurs  only  here  and 
Jer.  23,  13,  for  in  Job  24,  12  a  different  vocalization,  giving  us 
the  word  for  "prayer,"  is  required  by  the  context.  See  the 
note  to  the  passage.  The  meaning  of  the  word  must  be  gathered 
from  the  context  and  from  the  synonymous  expression  at  the 
close  of  2,  10. 

^^  The  text  adds  tautologically  "to  gather  around  Yahweh,'* 
which  is  omitted  in  the  original  Greek  version. 

202 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

my  servant  Job,  that  there  is  none  like  him  in  the 
earth,   a  pious   and  upright  man,  God-fearing  and 
removed  from  evil,  and  still  steadfast  in  his  piety, 
although  thou  didst  challenge  me  to  destroy  hinT? 
without    cause  ? "      And    Satan    said    to    Yahwehjj 
*' There  is  a  skin  beneath  the  skin;  ^^  and  a  man  will 
give  all  that  he  has  for  his  life.     But  now  put  forth  5 
Thy  hand  and  strike  his  own  bone  and  his  flesh  [and 
see]  whether  he  will  not   forthwith  curse  ^^  Thee." 
And  Yahweh  said  to  Satan:    "Behold,  he  is  in  thy 
hand;  only  spare  his  life."  ^ 

And  Satan  left  the  presence  of  Yahweh,  and 
smote  Job  with  malignant  boils  from  the  sole  of  his 
feet  to  his  crown.  And  he  took  a  potsherd  to-scrape 
himself,  and,  as  he  sat  among  the  ashes,^i  his  wife 
said  to  him:  "Art  thou  still  steadfast  in  thy  piety? 
Curse  God  and  die."  ^^  And  he  said  to  her:  "Thouio 
speakest  as  one  of  the  worthless  women.  Should  we 
indeed  receive  the  good  from  God,  but  the  evil  we 


^2  i.e.,  only  the  surface  has  been  scratched.  Scratch  deeper 
and  you  will  see  what  Job  will  do.  So  far  Job  himself  has  not 
been  afflicted. 

'^  Text  again  euphemistically  "curse  thee,"  as  above  i,  ii. 

^^  Strike  him  with  sickness,  but  do  not  kill  him — a  some- 
what superfluous  restriction,  for  the  test  would  naturally  have 
come  to  an  end  with  Job's  death. 

^^  i.e.,  outside  of  the  city,  as  the  Greek  text  adds.  Job  is 
treated  as  the  "leper"  in  Leviticus  14,  2  who  dwells  "outside 
of  the  camp."  Ash  heaps,  used  as  dumps,  are  still  to  be  seen 
in  the  outskirts  of  Palestinian  villages. 

^^  Commit  suicide  I  Text  again  has  euphemistically  ''bless." 
The  blasphemer  is  stricken  with  death.  In  the  Greek  text  Job's 
wife  indulges  in  a  long  speech,  which  is  an  interesting  illustration 
of  the  tendency  to  amplify  a  popular  tale. 

203 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

should  not  receive?"     For  all  this,  Job  did  not  sin 
with  his  lips^ 

Now  three  of  Job's  friends  heard  of  all  the  evil 
that  had  come  upon  him;  and  they  came,  each  from 
his  home,  Eliphaz,  the  Temanite,^*  and  Bildad,  the 
Shuhite,  and  Zophar,  the  Naamathite;  ^^  and  they 
made  an  appointment  together  to  come  to  sympa- 
thize with  him  and  to  comfort  him.  And  when  they 
saw  him  at  some  distance,  they  did  not  recognize 
him.  And  they  wept  aloud  and  tore  their  upper 
garments  *°  and  sprinkled  dust  over  their  heads.*^ 

'^  i.e.,  he  never  even  uttered  a  complaint.  Cf.  Psalms,  39, 
2  where  "sinning  with  the  tongue"  is  similarly  used. 

^Eliphaz  is  mentioned,  Genesis  36,  4  and  10  as  the  first- 
born of  Edom  (or  Esau).  Tema  is  in  northern  Arabia  and  may 
have  been  reckoned  as  part  of  Edom. 

^^The  home  of  Bildad  and  of  Zophar  must  also  be  sought 
in  the  region  of  northern  Arabia.  Gen.  36,  1 1  and  I  Chronicles 
I,  36,  Teman,  Omar  and  Zepho  are  registered  as  sons  of  Eliphaz; 
and  since  the  Greek  text  has  in  the  former  passage  Zophar 
instead  of  Zepho,  it  is  tempting  to  correct  the  Hebrew  text  of 
Job  (2, 1 1)  accordingly.  An  interchange  between  r  and  the  final 
waw  of  Zepho  would  be  quite  simple,  being  merely  the  difference 
of  a  small  stroke.  The  Greek  text  speaks  of  the  three  friends 
as  "kings" — an  interesting  additional  touch  of  the  legendary 
tale,  and  showing  again  the  variations  that  the  story  received 
in  the  course  of  its  wanderings. 

^^As  above  i,  20  a  sign  of  mourning.  The  friends  show 
their  grief  by  mourning  over  Job  as  though  he  were  already 
dead,  just  as  in  the  Babylonian  poem  (see  above  p.  37),  the 
suffering  king  says  of  himself  that  his  family  had  already  la- 
mented over  him  as  over  one  who  was  dead.  (Jastrow  in  Journal 
oj  Biblical  Literature,  Vol.  25,  p.  173.) 

"Though  not  yet  dead,  the  lamentation  was  recited; 
The  people  of  my  land  had  already  said  'Alas'  over  me." 

*^Text  adds  "towards  heaven" — omitted  in  the  Greek 
text,  and  evidently  a  gloss  to  indicate  that  the  dust  was  thrown 

204 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

Then  they  sat  down  with  him  on  the  ground  for  seven  / 
days  and  seven  nights,^^  without  speaking  a  word  toj 
him,  for  they  saw  how  very  great  was  [his]  pain. 

upwards  over  the  head.  The  old  custom  no  longer  understood 
by  the  glossator,  was  to  take  the  dust  from  the  grave  and  as  a 
sign  of  grief  to  rub  it  over  the  head  and  the  face  (Jastrow, 
Earthy  Dust  and  Ashes ^  in  the  Journal  of  the  American  Oriental 
Society,  Vol.  20,  pp.  150-173).  Acts  22,  23  Is  reminiscent  of 
our  passage. 

^  The  conventional  period  of  deepest  mourning  (Cf.  Gen. 
50,  10;  I  Samuel  31,  13),  still  observed  by  Orthodox  Jews  during 
which  time  the  mourners  sit  on  the  ground.  The  period  is 
popularly  known  as  "Shivah"  which  means  "seven."  Sitting 
in  silence  on  the  ground  instead  of  on  divans  is  a  sign  of  mourning. 
Cf.  Lamentations  2,  10. 


II 

THE  SYMPOSIUM  BETWEEN  JOB  AND 
HIS  FRIENDS 

(Chapters  3-21) 

3»^         After  this  Job  opened  his   mouth   and   cursed 
his  fate :  ^* 
J ,  3-10         Perish  the  day  on  which  I  was  born, 

Job  curses  a       i      i  •    i  i  .11 

his  fate.         And  the  night  when  a  male  was  conceived!  ^* 
May  God  not  seek  it  out  on  high," 
That  light  may  not  shine  upon  it. 
^         Darkness  and  deep  shadows  claim  it; 


^^  Literally,  "his  day,"  which  does  not  necessarily  mean  the 
day  of  his  birth.  The  chapter  has  an  additional  introductory 
clause,  (not  found  in  the  older  Greek  versions),  "And  Job  began 
to  speak,"  or  more  literally,  "in  answer  spoke,"  evidently  not 
in  place  here  and  inserted  to  bring  about  an  analogy  with  the 
conventional  opening  of  the  chapters  (4,  i ;  6,  i ;  8,  i ;  9,  I ;  etc., 
etc.).  A  striking  parallel  to  chap.  3,  1-12  is  found  in  Jeremiah 
20,  14-18 — a  section  evidently  not  in  place  there  and  which 
reads  like  a  bit  of  the  Book  of  Job  that  has,  through  some 
curious  chance  of  circumstance,  wandered  from  its  context. 

'^^The  line  is  too  long  by  one  beat.  The  word  "it  was 
said"  appears  to  be  an  explanatory  comment,  and  is  omitted 
in  one  of  the  Greek  versions. 

^^The  line  is  again  too  long.  It  is  clear  that  "God"  has 
been  added  to  explain  "on  high."  Moreover,  since  the  general 
construction  of  the  poem  consists  of  stanzas  of  four  lines,  (see 
above  p.  105),  we  are  justified  in  removing  redundant 
hemistichs  as  glosses  or  variants.  So,  the  beginning  of  v.  4, 
"That  day  be  darkness"  is  a  comment  to  "night,"  to  indicate 
that  a  dark  night  is  meant. 

206 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

And  denseness  cover  it!  ^^ 

Among  the  days  of  the  year  be  it  not  reckoned;  *^ 

Nor  enter  into  the  number  of  the  months. 

May  that  night  be  barren ;  ^^ 

No  song  penetrate  it. 

May  those  that  rouse  up  the  sea  ^^  ban  it, 

Those  who  are  ready  to  stir  up  the  dragon. ^° 

May  its  twilight  stars  remain  dark;  ^^ 

May  it  not  see  the  eyeHds  of  dawn ;  ^^ 


^^  The  two  words  at  the  close  of  the  verse  explained  by  a 
gloss  as  "clouds  rest  upon  it,"  are  to  be  combined  into  one 
kamririm  in  the  sense  of  "denseness." 

^^The  beginning  of  this  verse,  **That  night — may  density 
(ophel)  take  hold  of  it"  is  a  comment  to  the  first  hemistich  of 
V.  7  or  perhaps  to  v.  5.  In  King  John  III,  i,  12-20  we  have  a 
conscious  imitation  of  our  passage  in  Job.  See  Furness,  Vario^ 
rum  Edition  of  King  John^  p.  180,  note  16. 

^^The  word  "behold"  at  the  beginning  of  the  verse  is  to 
be  omitted.  The  term  translated  'barren"  {galmud)  is  a  rare 
word,  which  the  Greek  text  renders  "sorrowful."  If  the  gloss 
referred  to  in  the  preceding  note  is  a  comment  to  this  hemistich, 
the  meaning  of  galmud  is  to  be  taken  as  "gloom." 

^^  An  obscure  stanza.  Instead  of  "  cursers  of  the  day,"  I  read 
with  Gunkel  {Schopfung  und  Chaos,  p.  95)  followed  by  Ehrlich 
(Randglossen  6,  p.  190)  by  a  slight  correction,  "cursers  of  the 
sea,"  the  reference  being  to  diviners  who  invoke  the  spirits  of 
the  deep. 

^°Text  "Leviathan" — the  term  for  dragon  as  the  personi- 
fication of  the  deep,  so  frequently  referred  to  in  the  Old  Testa- 
ment, e.g.,  Isaiah  27,  i ;  Psalms  74, 14;  104,  26,  etc.  See  Jastrow, 
Hebrew  and  Babylonian  Traditions,  pp.  107-115. 

^^  i.  e.,  may  the  faint  stars  announcing  the  approach  of 
morning  remain  faint.  A  gloss  adds  "hoping  for  light  which 
comes  not." 

^2 The  "eyelids  of  dawn"  suggests  the  Greek  personifica- 
tion of  Dawn  as  a  lovely  maiden  whose  eyelids  are  lightbeams 
that  stream  from  the  opening  clouds.    See  Strahan,  ]ob,  p.  53. 

207 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

xo         Because  it  ^^  closed  not  the  doors  of  my  [mother's] 
lap,  ^4 

And  hid  trouble  from  my  eyes. 
11-26         Why  did  I  not  die  at  the  womb, 
fordf^.         Come  forth  from  the  lap  and  perish  ? 

Why  did  knees  receive  me?  ^^ 

And  why  were  there  breasts  to  give  me  suck? 

For  now  I  would  quietly  be  in  repose ; 

There  would  be  sleep  and  rest  for  me; 

With  the  kings  and  counsellors  of  the  earth, 

Who  build  themselves  mausoleums;  ^^ 
15         Or  with  the  merchant  princes, ^^ 

Who  fill  their  houses  with  silver; 

Or  like  a  buried  foetus, ^^  I  would  never  have  been; 

Like  babes  that  have  never  seen  the  light. 

There  where  the  toilers  cease  from  care; . 

And  the  workers  are  at  rest.^^ 

^  i.  e.,  that  night  in  which  I  was  born.  Ehrlich  {Rand- 
glossen  6,  190,)  by  a  slight  textual  change  reads: 

"For  oh  that  he  had  closed  my  mother's  lap. 
And  had  hidden  trouble  from  my  eyes.'* 

^*  Literally,  "belly." 

^^  Referring  to  the  custom  of  the  father  legitimizing  his 
new-born  child  by  receiving  it  on  his  knees. 

**  A  sarcastic  reference  to  the  vanity  of  kings  in  building 
huge  mausoleums — literally  "deserted  places" — for  themselves 
as  the  Egyptian  Pharaohs  who  spent  years  in  building  the 
pyramids  that  were  to  receive  their  bodies.  To  refer  the  term 
to  the  rebuilding  of  cities,  as  a  favorite  ambition  of  kings,  seems 
somewhat  far-fetched. 

^^  Literally  "princes  of  gold"  meaning  the  nabobs. 

^  More  literally  "hidden  untimely  birth." 

*'  I  confess  to  a  feeling  of  pain  in  proposing  a  change  for 
the  famous  and  impressive  rendering; 

"There,  the  wicked  cease  from  troubling; 
And  there  the  weary  are  at  rest." 

208 


<rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

Where  the  imprisoned  are  gathered  in  quiet; 

Not  hearing  the  voice  of  the  overseer, 

Where  small  and  great  are  [gathered]; 

And  the  servant  is  free  from  his  master. 

/Why  should  light  be  given  to  the  unhappy,         20 

And  life  to  those  in  despair^  -'^ 

[To  the  man  whose  way  is  hidden  [from  Gk^d], 

Whom  God  ha's  hedged  about  ?  *°] 

Who  long  for  death,  which  cometh  not; 

Who  dig  for  it  more  than  for  treasure; 

Who  rejoice  at  the  [thought  of  the]  mound, ^^ 

Are  jubilant  upon  finding  the  grave  ? 

For  as  my  food,  are  my  sighs;  ^^ 

My  groans  are  poured  out  like  water.®' 


but  neither  "  wicked  "  and  "weary  "  on  the  one  hand  nor  "  troub- 
ling" and  "at  rest"  on  the  other  form  either  a  contrast  or  a 
parallelism;  and  one  of  the  two  is  demanded  by  the  canons  of 
Hebrew  poetry.  The  Hebrew  phrase  usually  rendered  "ex- 
hausted of  strength  "  or  "  weary  "  can  only  mean  "  overpowered," 
i.e.,  the  submerged  masses  or  the  workers,  forced  to  servitude 
by  those  of  superior  power.  Instead  of  "wicked,"  we  must 
read  by  a  slight  change  a  term  which  refers  to  the  proletariat 
toilers.  It  is  not  they  who  cause  "trouble,"  but  who  must 
endure  it.    In  Sheol,  however,  they  are  free  from  all  worry. 

®^  This  is  verse  23  in  the  text,  but  appears  to  be  misplaced. 
It  may  have  been  added  on  the  margin  of  a  manuscript,  and  then 
inserted  at  a  wrong  place  by  a  later  copyist. 

®^  Instead  of  gz7,  read  by  a  slight  change  gal,  the  funeral 
mound,  marked  by  a  stone. 

^2  The  word  "comes"  which  makes  the  line  too  long  is  an 
explanatory  addition.     It  is  omitted  in  two  codices. 

*^  Compare  the  refrain  in  Babylonian  lamentation  hymns: 

"Instead  of  fcxxl,  I  eat  bitter  tears; 
Instead  of  wine,  I  drink  waters  of  misery." 

(Jastrow,  Religion  of  Babylonia  and  Assyria,  p.  222.) 

14  209 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

ti         For  the  terror  I  dreaded  has  overwhelmed  me; 
What  I  feared  has  come  to  me, 
.     I  have  no  peace  and  no  quiet, 
No  rest,  since  trouble  has  come. 

4»  I         Then  Eliphaz  in  answer  said: 
^  ,  ^-^         May  one  venture  a  word  with  thee,  ^^ 

Only  the  f^      "i  .  ,    ^ 

guilty  are         And  yet  how  can  one  restram  speech :  ^^ 
nnished.         i^  truth,  thou  hast  supported  ^^  many, 

Strengthened  weak  hands. 

Thy  words  have  sustained  the  tottering. 

Lending  support  to  feeble  knees. 

^  An  explanatory  comment  adds  "wilt  thou  be  annoyed  ? " 
The  addition  gives  the  line  four  beats,  instead  of  three. 

*^  Eliphaz,  who  introduces  his  first  discourse  with  an  apol- 
ogy for  hurting  Job's  feelings,  reminds  him  that  offering  advice 
while  useful  is  not  always  agreeable  to  the  one  to  whom  it  is 
offered.  Job  himself,  he  adds,  has  indulged  in  this  practice; 
and  to  smooth  matters  over,  Eliphaz  emphasizes  how  valuable 
Job  has  been  to  the  weak  and  the  faltering  by  his  wise  counsel. 
He  ought  to  be  willing  to  take  some  of  the  medicine  that  he 
has  so  frequently  poured  down  the  throats  of  others.  There  is 
a  human  touch  in  Eliphaz's  suggestion  that  Job  relied  upon  his 
piety  as  a  guarantee  against  misfortune;  and  now  that  it  has 
come  to  him,  he  does  not  relish  the  possibility  of  his  being 
reproved  and  lectured  to,  as  he  was  in  the  habit  of  doing  to  others. 
Eliphaz  feels,  or  pretends  to  feel,  the  call  to  tell  Job  the  truth 
and  so  rather  cleverly,  if  somewhat  unctuously,  claims  that  one 
can  not  restrain  one's  words  when  one  hears  such  blasphemous 
complaints  as  Job  has  just  uttered.  Even  at  the  risk  of  hurting 
Job,  Eliphaz  must  speak  out;  and  he  begins  by  bluntly  and  tact- 
lessly suggesting  that  since  no  innocent  person  has  ever  been 
punished.  Job  must  be  an  awful  sinner. 

®^  So  read  by  a  slight  change  (supported  by  the  Greek 
and  Aramaic  versions)  instead  of  "rebuked,"  or  "in- 
structed." Verses  3-4,  are  quoted  in  the  Epistle  to  the 
Hebrews  12,  12. 

210 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

But  now  it  comes  to  thee;  ^^  s 

It  touches  thee  and  thou  art  aghast. 

Was  not  thy  fear  [of  God]  thy  hope, 

And  thy  pious  ways  thy  trust? 

Recall  now,  an  innocent  who  has  perished?  ^^ 

And  where  are  the  upright  who  have  been  cut  off? 

As  I  have  seen,  those  who  have  ploughed  iniquity 

And  sowed  trouble,  have  reaped  it  ^^ 

Through  God's  wrath  ^°  they  have  perished,        9 

And  have  been  consumed  through  His  anger.  ^^ 

Now,  a  word  came  stealthily  to  me,  \^~^^ 

A      1  1  1  1  •  ^o  Man  cannot 

And  my  ear  heard  a  whisper;  ^^  he  pun  in 

In  the  play  of  thoughts  during  night  visions,        %^Gof! 
When  deep  sleep  falls  on  men ; 
Terror  and  trembling  came  over  me, 
And  fear  shook  my  bones. 


^^  The  same  commentator  as  in  verse  2,  adds:  "thou  art 
annoyed." 

^  The  line  has  a  superfluous  particle  that  makes  it  too  long. 

®^  Eliphaz  may  be  quoting  the  saying  Prov.  22,  8. 

^0  Literally,  "through  the  breath  of  Gk>d." 

^^  At  this  point  some  later  editor  or  pious  commentator 
has  inserted  (v.  la-ii)  some  popular  saws  in  the  style  of  the 
Proverbs,  in  illustration  of  the  conventional  view  that  guilt  is  pun- 
ished and  that  vice  versa  there  is  no  punishment  without  guilt: 

"The  lion  may  roar  and  the  fierce  one  howl, 
But  the  teeth  of  the  young  Uons  are  broken. 
The  old  Hon  perishes  for  lack  of  prey, 
And  the  whelps  of  the  lioness  are  scattered." 

^2  The  word  used  sherries  occurs  only  here  and  Job  26,  14, 
and  is  equivalent  to  our  "inkling."  There  is  an  overhanging 
"of  it"  at  the  end  of  the  line,  which  needs  to  be  removed  to 
reduce  the  line  to  three  beats. 

211 


tHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

15         A  breath  passed  before  my  face, 

That  made  the  hair  of  my  flesh  stand  up.*^^ 
A  form  that  I  knew  not  stood  there,  ^* 
And  I  heard  a  small  voice: 
"Can  man  be  more  righteous  than  God? 

Can  a  man  be  purer  than  his  Maker?"  ^^^ 
Since  He  does  not  put  trust  in  His  servants, 
And  finds  error  in  His  messengers; 
How  much  more  in  those  who  live  in  clay  houses,^® 
Crushed  like  the  empty  nest.^^ 

20 1       Shattered  fronii  morning  till  evening; 
Perishing  withput  help.^^ 


^^  i.e.^  made  me  shn 

^*  "An  image  was  before  my  eyes"  is  added  as  an  explana- 
tory gloss. 

^^  Eliphaz  is  placed  in  the  rather  ridiculous  position  of 
suggesting  that  what  he  is  about  to  say  is  a  divine  intuition. 
Hence  the  writer  makes  Eliphaz  use  the  phraseology  of  a  theo- 
phany  (i)  "  night  visions  "  as  in  the  case  of  the  Elohist  document 
of  the  Pentateuch,  e.g.^  Gen.  15,  12  seq  (Abraham);  28,  11  seq. 
(Jacob),  etc.  The  analogy  is  further  carried  out  by  the  use  of 
the  term  "deep  sleep"  as  Gen.  15,  12  "deep  sleep  fell  on  Abra- 
ham;" (2)  a  spirit  passing  before  one's  face  as  happened  to 
Moses  (Exodus  34,  6);  (3)  "the  still  small  voice"  as  in  the  case 
of  the  revelation  to  Elijah  (I  Kings,  19, 12).  After  this  elaborate 
introduction,  comes  the  message  which  is  quite  banal — to  wit, 
that  man  is  not  perfect. 

^^  Comment  "whose  foundation  is  in  the  dust,"  i.e.^  clay 
houses  without  solid  foundation  that  may  be  blown  away  by  a 
gust  of  wind.  The  "  clay  houses  "  do  not  refer  to  human  bodies, 
but  are  to  be  taken  literally  as  mud  huts — the  primitive  dwell- 
ings of  men,  to  illustrate  the  transitory  character  of  human 
fortunes. 

^^  So  Ehrlich's  explanation  {Randglossen  6,  p.  194)  which 
I  accept. 

^^  Gloss,  "forever,"  which  needs  to  be  removed  to  reduce 

the  line  to  three  beats. 

/ 

212 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

When  their  tent-cord  is  plucked  up,^^ 
They  die  through  lack  of  foresight. ^^ 

Call  now  [to  judgment]  whether  any  one  will  s,  i 

respond  to  thee  ?  *^ 
Which  of  the  divine  beings  ^^  wilt  thou  accuse? 
Fretting  kills  the  foolish,  1-7 

And  envy  brings  about  the  death  of  the  silly  one.^  Ij^th^''*'^^^ 
I  have  seen  the  foolish  take  root,^^  wicked  is 

But  his  habitation  of  a  sudden  is  swept  away;  ^^^  °^^' 
His  sons  far  from  salvation, 
And  crushed, ^^  with  none  to  save  [them]. 
What  they  gather,  the  hungry  eat;  ^^  S 


^®  The  metaphor  is  changed  to  that  of  a  tent  which  falls 
to  pieces  when  the  tent  pin  is  pulled  out.  The  body  is  compared 
to  a  tent,  of  which  the  soul  or  vital  essence  is  the  pin. 

^°  Literally:   "without  wisdom." 

^^The  "call"  and  "response"  represent  legal  phraseology, 
which  is  used  by  Job  throughout  chapter  9,  and  frequently  in 
later  speeches. 

^2  Literally:  "the  holy  ones"  used  here,  as  also  15,  15 
(in  a  speech  of  the  same  Eliphaz),  for  a  lower  order  of  divine 
beings,  the  ministers  or  angels  of  God.  Eliphaz  asks  Job  what 
he  is  going  to  do  about  it,  seeing  that  he  cannot  claim  to  be 
free  from  sin.  To  whom  can  he  appeal?  Some  scholars,  as  for 
example,  Siegfried,  regard  this  first  verse  as  a  later  interpolation, 
but  there  seems  to  be  no  necessity  for  this. 

^  Eliphaz  is  quoting  a  popular  saying.    Cf.  Prov.  19,  3. 

^  Or  possibly  "uprooted  "  by  a  different  vocalization.  The 
line  has  a  superfluous  "I"  at  the  beginning. 

^^  Some  such  meaning  is  demanded  by  the  context  and  is 
favored  by  the  Greek  text. 

^®Text  adds  "in  the  gate" — a  misplaced  gloss,  belonging 
to  the  preceding  stanza  after  the  words  "take  root." 

^^  So  the  Greek  translation.  The  text  adds  as  a  gloss 
"  gathering  it  into  the  granaries."  I  follow  Ehrlich's  reading  and 
interpretation  of  the  somewhat  obscure,  because  corrupt,  text. 

213 


"THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 


8 

8-27 

Those  who 

seek  God 

will  find 

salvation. 

10 


And  the  thirsty  (?)  drain  their  substance.^* 
^However,  I  ^^  would  seek  out  God,^° 
And  unto  God  commit  my  cause; 
Who  does  great  things  beyond  searching, 
And  marvels  without  number; 
Who  gives  rain  upon  the  earth, 
And  sends  water  over  the  highways. ^^ 
Raises  the  lowly  on  high, 
And  by  salvation  exalts  those  bent  down. 
Who  frustrates  the  devices  of  the  crafty, 
That  their  hands  fail  of  success. ^^ 
Who  overpowers  the  crafty  in  their  deceit. 
So  that  the  plan  of  the  wily  is  defeated. 
By  day  they  grope  in  darkness, 
And  as  though  it  were  night  they  stumble  at 
high  noon. 


^  Verses  6-7  are  again  proverbial  sayings,  added  by  some 
pious  commentator  but  which  interrupt  the  sequence: 

"Yet  iniquity  comes  not  from  the  dust; 
Nor  does  trouble  spring  out  of  the  ground; 
But  man  produces  trouble, 
As  sparks  fly  upwards." 

The  last  line  is  obscure.  Taking  the  text  as  it  stands,  the 
thought  seems  to  be  that  man  is  the  source  of  his  trouble,  by 
the  same  law  which  makes  the  sparks  fly  upwards. 

^  i.e.y  in  thy  place.  The  line  has  a  superfluous  "I,"  which 
makes  it  too  long. 

**  Job's  only  course  is  to  appeal  to  God's  mercy,  but  he 
must  not  accuse  God  of  injustice. 

^^  Cf.  Jeremiah  10,  13.  In  each  line  there  is  a  superfluous 
"the  face,"  which  is  omitted  in  the  Greek  version. 

^  Literally:  "insight  "  but  in  the  sense  of  failure  through 
the  lack  of  "insight." 


214 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

He  saves  [the  poor  (?)]  ^^  from  their  mouth,  ^*       is 
And  the  needy  from  their  strong  hand. 
So  that  hope  springs  up  for  the  poor, 

As Jniquity  closes  her  mouth.^^  ^ 

Happy  ®^  the  man  wEom  God  reproves^ 

The  chastisement  of  Shaddai  ^^  one  must  not 

reject.  ^^  

For  He  strikes,  and  [also]  binds  up; 

His  hands  wound  but  [also]  heal. 

Out  of  six  dangers  he  will  deliver  thee; 

And  at  the  seventh  will  not  permit  evil  to  harm 

thee.»» 


^  A  word  needs  to  be  supplied.  The  parallelism  suggests 
oni  "poor."    Budde  {Hiob^  p.  24)  proposes  "orphan." 

•*  A  comment  or  variant:  "from  the  sword." 

*®t.  ^.,  when  the  tricksters  and  crooks  are  crushed  into 
silence. 

^®The  text  has  a  superfluous  word  "behold"  (not  in  the 
Greek  version),  which  needs  to  be  removed,  to  reduce  the  line 
to  three  beats.    Cf.  Prov.  3,  ii. 

*^  Occurring  24  times  in  the  Symposium  and  Supplements, 
6  times  in  the  speeches  of  Elihu  and  once  in  the  poetical  epilogue, 
by  the  side  of  £/  35  times  in  the  Symposium,  19  times  in  the 
speeches  of  Elihu  and  3  times  in  the  poetical  epilogue;  Eloah 
34  times  in  the  Symposium,  5  times  in  the  speeches  of  Elihu 
and  twice  in  the  poetical  epilogue,  and  Elohim  3  times  in  the 
Symposium  and  twice  in  the  speeches  of  Elihu  and  once  in  the 
nature  poems — all  generic  designation  for  God.  Shaddai  con- 
veying the  idea  of  "strength"  is  rendered  "Almighty"  in  the 
English  versions,  but  as  a  specific  name,  older  than  Yahweh 
(Exodus  6,  2),  it  is  preferable  to  retain  the  Hebrew  form.  See 
above,  p.  199,  note  13. 

^^  A  saying  in  the  style  of  the  Proverbs  (cf.  Prov.  3,  11) — 
perhaps  a  quotation  from  a  collection.  A  further  extension  of 
the  thought  leads  to  the  view  set  forth  in  the  famous  passage 
in  the  Epistles  to  the  Hebrews,  12,  5-1 1. 

*^  Another  saying  in  the  style  of  Proverbs  (cf.  Prov.  6,  16). 

215 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

20         In  want  He  will  redeem  thee  from  death ; 

And  in  war  from  the  power  of  the  sword. 

Against  the  leaping  flame  ^  thou  shalt  be  secure; 

And  thou  shalt  not  be  afraid  of  misfortune.^ 
22         At  misfortune  and  famine  thou  wilt  laugh; 

And  not  be  afraid  of  the  beasts  of  the  earth.' 
*4         And  thou  shalt  know  thy  tent  to  be  safe; 

Thou  shalt  muster  thy  estate  and  nothing  shall 
be  missing."* 
a6         Thou  shalt  come  to  the  grave  in  fullness, 

Like  a  shock  of  corn  in  its  season. 

Behold,  this  we  have  ascertained;  ^ 

We  have  heard  it  ® — and  do  thou  bear  it  in  mind! 

Job  ^usti-      '   "^^^  J^^  ^^  answer  said : 

fies  his     j    If  my  trouble  could  only  be  weighed, 
complaint.         ^yj^^j^  ^^  Calamity  together  in  scales,^ 

^ Text  "tongue"  for  "tongue  of  fire."    So  Ehrlich. 
2 The  text  has  an  addition  "when  it  comes" — dearly  an 
explanatory  comment. 

'The  following  verse,  the  first  half  of  which  (v.  23)  is 
omitted  in  the  Greek  version,  strikes  one  as  an  addition — taken 
perhaps  from  some  collection  of  sayings,  and  suggested  by  the 
reference  to  the  "beasts  of  the  earth;" 

**For  with  the  stones  of  the  field  is  thy  pact; 
And  the  beasts  of  the  field  furnish  security  for  thee." 

*  Somewhat  like  Proverbs  3,  9-10 — plenty  as  the  reward 
of  piety.  Verse  25  appears  to  be  a  later  addition — perhaps 
quoted  from  some  collection: 

"And  thou  shalt  know  that  thy  seed  shall  be  great; 
And  thy  oflFspring  as  the  grass  of  the  earth." 

'A  glossator  adds:  "So  it  is,"  which  makes  the  line 
too  long. 

•  So  the  Greek  translation. 

^A  superfluous  word  "laid"  makes  the  line  too  long.  It 
is  clearly  an  amplifying  gloss. 

216 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

It  would  indeed  be  heavier  than  the  sand ;  ^ 

— Therefore,  my  flow  of  words. 

The  arrows  of  Shaddai  are  within  me,® 

The  terrors  of  God  are  arrayed  against  me. 

Does  the  wild  ass  bray  over  grass  ?  ^^ 

Does  the  ox  low  over  his  fodder  .f" 

Can  what  is  tasteless  be  eaten  without  salt  .^ 

Or  is  there  any  taste  in  halamuth-juice }  " 

My  soul  refuses  to  touch  [them]; 

They  are  the  spoilers  of  my  food. 

Oh  that  my  request  were  granted,        ' 

That  God  would  accede  to  my  wish !  ^^ 

That  it  might  please  God  to  crush  me; 

To  let  loose  His  hand,  and  cut  me  off! 


^Similarly,  in  this  line  "of  the  seas"  after  "sand"  is  a 
comment,  which  needs  to  be  removed  to  reduce  the  line  to 
three  beats. 

*  A  commentator  adds  a  superfluous  line  (in  prose  form) : 
"Whose  poison  drains  my  spirit." 

^°  He  brays  when  he  is  hungry  or  in  distress — i.e.,  for  some 
good  cause. 

^^  Halamuth  has  been  commonly  rendered  "white  of  Qgg^^ 
because  of  the  Talmudic  term  halman  which  has  this  meaning, 
but  it  is  more  likely  the  name  of  a  plant,  the  equivalent  of  the 
Syriac  Halmetha-Anchusa  (Alkanna  tinctoria)  the  name  given 
to  a  genus  of  boraginaceous  herbs,  the  roots  of  which  are  used 
medicinally.  The  reference  is  to  a  juice  which  is  not  fit  to  eat, 
and  that  cannot  serve  as  food.  There  are  certain  things,  says 
Job,  which  cannot  be  endured.  One  does  not  want  to  eat  some- 
thing that  has  no  taste.  Such  things  spoil  one's  pleasure;  they 
deprive  one  of  joy  in  life.  The  comparison  does  not  appeal  to 
our  modern  point  of  view,  but  the  implication  is  clear  that  life 
has  become  unendurable  for  Job,  and  that  he  has  good  reason 
for  his  disgust  with  existence. 

^2  So  by  a  slight  change  in  the  text. 

217 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

10         Then  there  would  still  be  a  comfort  to  me; 
And  I  would  exult  despite  relentless  pain.^^ 
What  endurance  have  I  [left]  to  sustain  hope? 
And  what  goal  have  I  that  I  should  drag  on  my 

life?^^ 
Have  I  the  strength  of  stones  ? 
Is  my  flesh  of  brass  ? 
13-30         Behold,^^  there  is  no  help  in  me; 
Faithless         And  salvation  ^^  is  denied  to  me. 
frlerSs.         From  his  friends  the  one  in  despair  deserves 
kindness, 
Even  though  he  forsakes  the  fear  of  Shaddai. 
15         My  brethren  have  proved  false  like  a  brook,^^ 
Like  overflowing  river  beds, 
Running  black  by  reason  of  the  ice, 
Mixed  (?)  with  the  snow; 
But  which  when  the  heat  comes  are  dry;  ^^ 


^^  A  pious  commentator,  in  order  to  give  a  more  reverent 
tone  to  the  cry  of  anguish,  adds  a  superfluous  line:  "that  I  had 
not  denied  the  words  of  the  Holy  One."  Job  is  hardly  in  a 
mood  for  such  a  thought.    Moreover,  the  line  is  in  prose  form. 

^*  There  is  a  limit  even  to  Job's  strength,  and  moreover 
why  should  he  continue  to  suffer,  seeing  that  the  only  end  to 
his  sufferings  must  be  death. 

^^  So  by  a  slight  change. 

^^  So  read  by  a  slight  change,  supported  by  the  Greek 
version.  The  Hebrew  text  has  "insight"  which  is  not  a  good 
parallel  to  "help." 

^^The  metaphor,  found  also  in  Jer.  15,  18,  is  suggested  by 
the  many  little  river  beds  in  Palestine,  known  as  wadis,  which 
during  the  rainy  season  are  filled  with  the  water  coming  from 
the  hills  and  often  indeed  become  rushing  torrents,  but  which 
when  the  summer  sun  comes  are  entirely  dry. 

^^  i.e.^  the  water  in  the  river  bed  evaporates  and  the  brooks 
disappear. 

218 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

Through  the  heat  disappear  from  their  place. 

Their  courses  are  changed ;  ^^ 

They  rise  as  vapor  and  are  lost. 

The  caravans  of  Tema  depended  upon  [them];  ^^ 

The  companies  of  Sheba  hoped  for  [them]. 

They  are  confused  because  of  [their]  ^^  trust;       20 

They  come  to  the  spot,  and  are  put  to  shame. 

So  you  have  now  become  to  me;  ^^ 

You  look  at  the  terror, ^^  and  are  shocked. 

Did  I  ask  you  to  give  me  ? 

And  through  your  strength  to  intercede  for  me?^* 

To  deliver  me  from  the  hand  of  the  adversary?  ^s 

Or  to  ransom  me  from  the  hand  of  oppressors  ? 

Teach  me,^*  and  I  will  keep  silent; 

Make  clear  to  me  wherein  I  have  erred. 

Why  do  you  deny  the  force  of  proper  words  "^  ^^    25 

What  does  your  rebuke  prove? 

Do  you  consider  your  mere  assertions  a  proof, 


^^  So  by  a  necessary  emendation  of  the  text. 

*°  i,e.^  upon  these  river  beds  where  tHey  hoped  to  find 
water,  but  are  doomed  to  disappointment.  Tema  lay  in  north- 
ern Arabia;  Sheba  (t.^.,  Sabaea)  in  South  Arabia. 

2^  A  word  must  be  added  to  get  three  beats  to  this  line. 

^  The  friends  of  Job  are  compared  to  river  beds  which 
are  empty  when  one  has  most  need  of  them.  Read  **to  me," 
as  the  Greek  and  Syriac  versions,  instead  of  "for  him." 

^  Meaning  himself  and  his  terrible  condition. 

2^  Not  only  do  Job's  friends  desert  him  in  his  trouble,  but 
their  advice  and  reproaches  are  gratuitous,  since  Job  never 
asked  any  help  from  them. 

2S  i.e.,  God. 

2^  Show  me  my  wrong,  instead  of  reproaching  me. 

2^  So  by  a  slight  change  of  the  text.  The  "proper  words" 
are  Job's  complaints  and  charges. 

219 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

1  And  the  utterances  of  the  one  in  despair  mere 

wind  ?  28 
Then  would  you  cast  [lots]  ^9  for  the  orphan, 
And  bargain  away  your  friend. 
Be  pleased  to  turn  to  me;  ^° 
And  I  will  not  disappoint  you  ^^ 
Listen  again,  let  there  be  no  incrimination; 
Listen  again  to  my  justification! 
30         [And  see]  whether  there  is  any  injustice  in  my 

tongue  ? 
Or  whether  my  palate  is  insensible  to  perversity? 

7>  I         Is  not  man's  (life)  on  earth  a  service  ?  ^^ 
The  Ji7^°         ^^^  ^^^  ^^^  ^^^  days  like  those  of  a  hireling  ? 
of  life  and         Like  [thosc  of ]  a  servant  longing  for  the  shadow 
««t&  [of  evening]? 

As  a  hireling  looking  for  his  wages  ?  ^' 

2^  Job's  friends  are  inconsistent.  They  consider  their 
empty  words  to  be  a  real  argument,  whereas  they  pay  no  atten- 
tion to  Job's  profession  of  his  innocence,  regarding  such  utter- 
ances as  the  mere  babble  of  a  man  in  despair. 

2* The  word  "lot"  needs  to  be  added  to  get  three  beats 
for  this  line.    Cf.  I  Sam.  14,  42. 

^°  Job  by  a  sudden  turn  implores  his  friends  to  reconsider 
his  case,  and  see  whether  he  is  not  justified  in  his  claim  that 
he  has  been  unjustly  punished.  He  feels  assured  that  if  he  has 
really  done  wrong,  he  would  be  capable  of  recognizing  it. 

^^  Literally  "lie  to  your  face"  in  the  sense,  however,  of 
justifying  the  consideration  that  Job  asks  of  his  friends. 

^^  Life  is  a  constant  toil  imposed  upon  man  by  a  hard  task- 
master. Siegfried,  Book  of  Job,  p.  4,  takes  this  entire  section, 
7,  i-io,  as  an  independent  parallel  composition  to  the  preceding 
chapter,  but  there  seems  to  be  no  warrant  for  such  a  view. 

^^  One  is  reminded  of  the  stanza  in  Cymbeline — 

"Thou  thy  worldly  task  hast  done, 
Home  art  gone  and  ta'en  thy  wages."    (IV,  2,  337-338.) 

220 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

So  I  have  been  allotted  ^^  months  of  misery, 

And  wearisome  nights  have  been  appointed  to  me 

When  I  lie  down,  when  shall  I  arise  ?  ^^ 

And  I  am  worn  out  [and]  restless  till  evening.^^ 

My  body  is  clothed  with  decay  ;^^  s 

My  skin  breaks  and  suppurates.  ^^ 

My  days  [fly]  swifter  than  a  weaver's  shuttle, 

And  pass  away  without  hope. 

Oh,  remember  that  when  my  breath  of  life  [is 

gone], 
My  eyes  will  never  see  happiness  again. 
P'he  eye  of  the  one  who  looks  for  me  shall  not 

find  me 
Thy  eyes  may  be  upon  me,  but  I  shall  not  be 

there.]39 
The  cloud  dissolves  and  is  gone. 
So  the  one  who  goes  down  ^°  does  not  come  up. 
He  shall  return  no  more  to  his  house,  '® 


^^  Note  the  bitterness  of  Job's  complaint  that  in  this  world 
of  service,  his  share  is  to  spend  his  days  and  nights  in  suffering. 
The  word  "to  me"  in  the  text  after  the  rest  makes  the  line  too 
long;  it  is  an  amplifying  gloss,  superinduced  by  the  same  word 
at  the  close  of  the  following  line. 

^^  i.e.,  how  long  till  morning  comes?  Cf.  Deut.  28, 67.  A 
glossator  adds  "I  say,"  which  makes  the  line  too  long. 

^^This  line  has  a  superfluous  "when  the  night  is  spent," 
which  gives  the  line  five  beats  instead  of  three. 

*^A  glossator  adds  "earth  clods,"  to  explain  that  the 
"decay"  refers  to  the  crusts  of  the  sores  with  which  Job's  body 
is  covered,  and  which  he  likens  to  clumps  of  mud. 

^^  So  the  explanation  of  the  line  by  Ibn  Ezra  and  other 
Jewish  exegetes. 

^^  Verse  8  is  not  found  in  the  original  Greek  text  and  im- 
presses one  as  a  later  addition,  amplifying  the  thought  in  verse  7. 

^^  Gloss  "  to  Sheol,"  the  gathering  place  of  the  dead. 


221 


11-21 

Job  curses 

his  fate 

and  hurls 

reproaches 
at  God. 


n 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

And  his  place  shall  know  him  no  more. 

Therefore,  I  will  not  restrain  my  mouth; 

I  will  give  voice  to  my  despair."*^ 

Am  I  a  sea  or  a  sea-monster, 

That  thou  settest  a  watch  over  me  ?  ^^ 

When  I  think  that  my  bed  will  comfort  me, 

That  my  couch  shall  ease  my  plaint, 

Thou  scarest  me  with  dreams, 

And  startlest  me  with  visions. 

So  that  I  prefer  ^'  strangling  of  my  soul, 

Death,  rather  than  my  pains.*^ 

I  refuse  to  live  any  longer;  ^^ 

Cease,^^  for  my  days  are  vanity. 

What  is  man,  that  Thou  shouldst  rear  him,^^ 

And  put  Thy  mind  upon  him, 

Seek  him  out  every  morning. 

Try  him  every  moment? 

How  long  before  Thou  wilt  look  away  from  me, 


*^  A  variant  adds  "  I  will  speak  in  the  anguish  of  my  spirit" 
and  which  is  missing  in  the  original  Greek  version.    Cf.  lo,  i. 

^  The  reference  is  to  the  ancient  myth,  representing  Yah- 
weh  as  overcoming  and  chaining  the  unruly  monsters  of  the 
deep,  which  symbolized  the  primaeval  chaos  that  existed  beforeu  I 
the  creation  of  the  world.    See  Jastrow,  Hebrew  and  B abyloniartrf 
Traditions^  p.  io8. 

^'  So  read  by  changing  a  single  letter. 

^By  a  slight  change  of  the  text  one  obtains  the  more 
satisfactory  "my  pains"  in  place  of  "my  bones." 

^^  Literally  "forever,"  but  in  the  sense  of  living  on. 

■^^The  text  has  a  superfluous  "from  me,"  which  makes  the 
line  too  long. 

^^  An  embittered  turn  given  to  the  famous  phrase.  Psalms 
8,  5.  "What  is  man  that  Thou  art  mindful  of  him?"  which 
the  writer  has  in  mind. 


222 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

To  let  me  alone  till  I  swallow  my  spittle  ?  ^* 

What  have  I  done  to  Thee,  Guardian  of  man?  ^^20 

Why  hast  Thou  made  me  a  mark?  ^° 

And  why  dost  Thou  not  pardon  my  transgression 

And  forgive  my  iniquity? 

For  then  I  could  lie  down  in  the  dust;  ^^ 

Thou  wouldst  seek  me,  but  I  would  not  be  there. 

8,  I 

And  Bildad,  the  Shuhite,  in  answer  said:  ^Godisjust- 

How  long  wilt  thou  babble  thus ?  ^^^^ ^-f^**- 

Thy  words  are  a  mighty  wind.^^  ^^  ^^^^ 

Does  God  pervert  judgment?  3 
Does  Shaddai  pervert  right?  ^' 

If  thou  wouldst  seek  out  God  S 


^  i.e.^  grant  a  respite  long  enough  to  swallow  the  spittle 
which  is  choking  Job. 

^  In  bitter  irony  Job  calls  God  a  "Guardian"  who  watches 
man  closely.  The  words  "  I  have  sinned  "  make  the  line  too  long 
and  appear  to  be  an  amplification  by  some  pious  commentator 
to  tone  down  the  bitterness  by  having  Job  dt  least  confess  that 
he  has  sinned.  The  alternative  would  be  to  regard  the  three 
words  "Guardian  of  man"  as  added. 

^^The  text  adds  "for  thee,"  followed  by  an  amplifying 
gloss  "so  that  I  have  become  a  burden  to  Thee."  Read  "for 
Thee"  (so  the  Greek  text)  instead  of  "for  myself."  Both  Ibn 
Ezra  and  Rashi  (following  the  Jewish  tradition)  recognize  that 
the  sense  here  requires  "for  Thee."  The  change  was  intention- 
ally made  after  the  gloss  had  crept  into  the  text  in  order  to 
soften  the  bitter  taunt.  The  glossator  interpreted  "mark"  in 
the  sense  of  "burden." 

^^  i.e.^  death  as  a  release  would  be  a  sign  of  God's  grace. 
The  utterance  harks  back  to  6,  8-10. 

^2  i.e,,  "full  of  sound  and  fury,  signifying  nothing." 

^  A  commentator  has  added,  v.  4  (in  prose  form).  "If 
thy  children  had  sinned  against  Him,  He  would  give  them  up 
because  of  their  transgression." 

223 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

And  implore  Shaddai;  ^* 

[He  would  bear  witness  for  thee,^^ 

And  would  in  equity  restore  thy  position. ^^ 

Thy  former  state  would  appear  small, 

And  thy  later  one  be  very  great.]" 

For  inquire  of  the  former  generation, 

And  turn  to  what  the  fathers  have  searched 

out.^* 
For  we  have  no  knowledge  of  yesterday, 
Since  our  days  are  a  shadow  upon  earth. 
10         Surely  they  will  teach  thee  and  tell  thee 
And  reveal  the  thoughts  in  their  mind :  ^' 
Does  papyrus  ^^  grow  without  marsh? 
Does  Nile  reed  ^^  flourish  without  water? 
While  still  in  its  blossom,  before  it  is  ripe, 
It  would  wither  quicker  than  grass. 

^  Verses  6-7  which  are  only  partially  reproduced  in  the 
Greek  text  may  represent  a  later  addition.  Various  expressions 
betray  a  later  period  than  the  body  of  the  text.  In  any  case  (6*) 
"Provided  thou  wert  pure  and  upright"  is  an  amplifying  com- 
ment, added  by  some  pious  glossator.     See  below  note  70. 

^^  So  by  a  slight  change  in  the  text. 

^^  I  follow  Ehrlich's  restoration  of  the  text. 

^^  In  comparison  to  thy  future  greatness  as  a  reward  for 
obtaining  the  forgiveness  of  God,  thy  former  condition,  pros- 
perous as  it  was,  would  appear  insignificant.  See  note  to 
verses  21-22. 

^*  !.<?.,  the  wisdom  of  the  ancients. 

^*The  following  two  lines  (verse  11)  embody  some  saying 
to  illustrate  that  without  a  proper  foundation  things  will  not 
prosper  in  this  world. 

*"  Passages  like  Exodus  2,  3  and  Isaiah  18,  2,  furnishing 
an  Egyptian  environment  and  in  which  the  same  word  is  used 
as  in  our  passage,  show  that  the  papyrus  stalk  is  meant. 

^^  The  Egyptian  word  for  Nile  reed  is  here  used  by  the 
author. 

224 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

Such  is  the  end  ^^  of  all  that  forget  God.  ^-^j 

The  hope  of  the  impious  will  perish;  of  the 

Whose  confidence  is  a  gossamer  thread,  tmpious. 

And  whose  trust  a  spider's  web. 
[He  shall  lean  upon  his  house,  but  it  shall  not  15 

stand  ;^^ 
He  shall  take  hold  of  it,  but  it  shall  not  endure.]** 
Green  in  spite  of  the  sun, 
Its  shoot  spreads  over  Its  roof.®^ 
About  a  stone  heap  its  roots  are  entwined; 
It  clutches  rocky  soil.®* 
If  one  plucks  it  from  its  place 
[That  place]  will  deny  it  "I  never  saw  thee."  '^ 
Behold,  such  is  the  joy  **  of  its  course, 
And  out  of  the  dust  something  else  will  sprout. 
Forsooth,  God  will  not  reject  the  upright;  *^       20 
Nor  does  He  strengthen  the  hand  of  evildoers. 

®^  So  to  be  read,  as  in  the  Greek  text,  by  a  slight  change 
in  the  text. 

^  So  read  by  a  slight  change  of  the  text.  The  meaning 
is  that  his  substance  will  perish,  and  that  the  structure  which 
he  rears  will  fall  to  pieces. 

^  Verse  15  appears  to  be  another  proverbial  saying,  intro- 
duced here  as  appropriate. 

^^  i.e.,  the  roof  of  the  house.  The  picture  is  that  of  a  shoot 
of  some  kind  that  grows  upon  roofs,  but  which  has  no  roots 
in  deep  soil.    Such  a  shoot  never  ripens;  it  remains  green. 

®*The  author  introduces  another  illustration  of  a  shoot 
coming  up  out  of  a  rocky  soil  which,  like  the  one  that  grows  on 
a  roof,  will  not  last. 

*^  The  shoot  makes  no  lasting  impress.  It  disappears  and 
even  the  place  in  which  it  temporarily  thrived  knows  nothing 
of  it.    So  the  wicked  perish  without  a  trace. 

®^  Sarcastically  used.  The  Greek  text  reads:  "This  is 
the  end  of  the  godless." 

*^  The  same  word  as  the  one  used  (i,  i)  to  describe  Job. 

225 


9,1 

One  cannot 
bring  a  suit 
against  God 
who  is 
mighty  but 
also  unap- 
proachable. 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

[Thy  mind  will  yet  be  filled  with  laughter, 

And  thy  life  with  joy. 

Thy  haters  shall  be  clothed  with  shame; 

And  the  tent  of  the  wicked  shall  be  no  more.]  ^° 

Then  Job  in  answer  said: 

I  know  full  well  that  this  is  so; 
But  how  can  a  man  win  a  suit  ^^  against  God  f 
If  one  should  undertake  to  summon  ^^  Him, 
There  is  not  a  chance  in  a  thousand  that  He 

would  respond.  ^^ 
Wise  and  strong  as  one  may  be, 
Who  could  venture  against  Him  and  come  out 

whole  ?  ^* 
Who  removes  mountains  and  they  know  it  not. 
When  in  His  anger  ^^  He  overturns  them. 
Who  shakes  the  earth  out  of  her  place, 
That  her  foundations  quake.  ^^ 


^°  These  last  two  verses  (21  and  22)  appear  to  be  misplaced. 
They  fit  in  after  verse  5.  They  have  been  put  here  so  as  to 
make  Bildad's  speech  end  with  a  consolation,  instead  of  with  a 
denunciation.  If  verses  6  and  7  are  later  additions  as  has,  above 
note  54,  been  suggested,  then  these  misplaced  verses  21-22  may 
represent  the  original  reading  after  verse  5. 

^^The  term  used — literally  "to  be  right" — is  a  legal  one 
to  indicate  the  one  who  is  justified  by  the  outcome  of  a  suit. 

^^  Again  a  legal  term  to  designate  the  summoning  of  the 
opponent  to  appear  in  Court. 

■^^The  point  that  Job  makes  is  that  since  his  complaint 
\  is  against  God,  there  is  no  use  In  pressing  It,  since  God  Is  not 
;  an  adversary  with  whom  one  can  be  brought  face  to  face  to 
';    thresh  the  matter  out. 

^'^The  translation  "prosper"  (AV  and  RV)  misses  the 
point  completely. 

^^  Geological  upheavals  pictured  as  signs  of  God's  terrible 
anger. 

226 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

Who  commands  the  sun  not  to  shine,  ^^  7 
And  seals  up  the  stars. ^^ 

He  goes  by  me,  without  my  seeing  Him;  n 

He  passes  on,  without  my  knowing.  Golt 

If  he  passes  by,^^  who  can  hinder  Him?  c colons  and 
[And]  can  say  unto  Him — ^What  doest  Thou?  ^^  just  and 

God  would  not  withdraw  His  anger,  "''•^"■'^  ^^'■^^' 


^^  Earthquakes. 

^^  Eclipses. 

^^  The  invisibility  of  the  planets  at  stated  periods,  likewise 
regarded  as  symptoms  of  Divine  displeasure  and  giving  rise 
among  ancient  nations  to  mythical  tales  of  the  capture  and 
imprisonment  of  the  sun,  moon  or  planets  as  the  case  may  be. 
Verses  8  to  lo  giving  an  entirely  different  turn  to  Job's  thought, 
as  though  he  were  merely  intent  upon  describing  the  marvels 
(see  p.  2 14)  of  nature  as  Eliphazdoes  (5,9-10)  are  to  be  regarded 
as  additions  to  the  text  by  a  pious  commentator.  The  loth 
verse  (again  quoted  36,  6),  is  directly  taken  over  from  the 
speech  of  Eliphaz  (5,  9),  and  thus  is  revealed  as  a  later  insertion. 
Job's  contention  (verses  5-7)  is  that  it  is  of  no  use  to  argue 
with  a  Being  whose  wrath  is  shown  by  violent  interruptions  of 
the  course  of  nature,  whose  powerful  will  is  merely  the  expres- 
sion of  His  morose  disposition,  who  does  what  He  pleases. 
Verses  8-10,  on  the  other  hand,  carry  us  into  an  entirely  different 
area  of  thought.  They  describe  God's  supreme  control  and 
guidance  of  nature. 

8.  "Who,  by  Himself,  stretches  out  the  heavens,  ^ 

And  treads  their  heights. 

(so  read  instead  of  "heights  of  sea.") 

9.  Who  makes  the  Aldebaran  [and]  Orion; 

The  Pleiades  and  the  constellations  of  the  South. 

(Verse  9,  which  does  not  read  very  smoothly,  may  be  an 
amplification  of  v.  8  in  prose  form.) 

10.        Who  does  great  things  past  finding  out, 
And  wonders  without  number." 

^^  So  by  a  slight  change  in  the  text. 

^^  You  cannot  get  at  God.  No  one  can  see  Him,  no  one 
can  follow  God's  course.  He  cannot  be  controlled;  he  cannot 
be  questioned. 

227 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

Though  the  companions  of  Rahab  stoop. '^ 
How  then  could  I  answer  Him, 
Choose  my  wo-rds  with  Him  ?  ^^ 
15         Even  if  I  were  in  the  right,  I  could  not  plead,  ^' 
[And]  make  my  appeal  to  my  judge. ^^ 
[If  I  were  to  summon,  and  He  were  to  respond 

to  me, 
I  could  not  be  certain  that  He  would  give  ear 

to  me]  ^^ 
He  who  crushes^®  me  for  a  trifle," 
And  increases  my  wounds  without  cause; 
Does  not  permit  me  to  take  breath, 
But  satiates  me  with  bitterness. ^^ 


^^The  text  has  a  superfluous  "under  him."  The  allusion 
is  (as  in  7,  12)  to  the  myth  of  Yahweh's  conflict  with  monsters, 
symbolizing  the  primseval  chaos  and  who  are  subdued  by  Yah- 
weh.  Rahab  is  one  of  the  names  of  the  monster  who  as  the  leader 
of  an  army  proceeds  to  fight  with  Yahweh,  but  is  forced  to 
yield.  See  above  the  notes  to  3,  8  and  7,  12.  Yahweh  in  his 
wrath  crushes  the  monsters  who  appeal  in  vain  to  His  mercy. 
What  then  can  man  expect  of  such  a  Being? 

®The  picture  of  the  lawsuit  is  continued.  "Answering" 
refers  to  the  plea  before  a  court.    So  also  the  Greek  text  takes  it. 

^'Literally  "answer,"  but  again  in  the  legal  sense  of  plead- 
ing ones  case. 

"  Again  the  dilemma,  arising  out  of  the  circumstance  that 
the  accusation  is  against  the  judge. 

^^  Even  if  God  were  to  accept  the  summons  to  the  suit. 
it  would  be  of  little  use,  since  one  could  not  be  sure  that  He 
would  pay  heed  to  one's  presentation  of  one's  case.  This  i6th 
verse  may  be  a  later  amplification  of  the  thought  implied  in  the 
preceding  verse. 

®®Same  verb  as  in  Genesis  3,  15,  "crush  under  foot." 

*^  Literally,  "for  a  hair" — ^following  Ehrlich's  reading. 

®  In  the  sense  of  "woe."  The  same  phrase  is  found  Lam. 
3,  15,  just  as  Lam.  3,  14  suggests  Job  30,  i  and  9.    If  there  is 

228 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

If  it  is  a  test  of  strength,  He  is  surely  superior! 

But  if  it  is  a  [question]  of  justice,  who  can  ar- 
raign Him?^^ 

If  I  were  in  the  right.  His  mouth  would  condemn  ^ 
me;»o 

If  I  were  entirely  right,^^  He  would  twist   the 
verdict. 


jYai 


am  guiltless — ^2  j  ^^j.^  not;^^  i         y^ 
[Aye]^*  I  loathe  my  life!  !       "^ 


any  question  of  dependency  involved,  the  chapter  in  Lamenta- 
tions presupposes  the  Book  of  Job. 

^Read  "Him"  instead  of  "me"  and  see  for  such  inten- 
tional changes  above  p.  109  seq.  and  below  note  to  9,  35.  Note 
again  the  use  of  legal  terms  "justice"  (or  "judgment")  and 
"arraign."  Job  becomes  increasingly  bold  and  refuses  to  mince 
matters.  He  admits  that  if  the  contest  is  one  of  strength,  he 
has  been  worsted  by  God,  but  if  it  is  a  question  to  be  judged 
on  its  merits  by  a  court,  who  can  bring  a  charge  against  God, 
though  God  knows,  as  is  admitted  in  the  popular  tale,  that 
Job  is  "pious"  and  "upright"  (i,  I  and  8  and  2,  3)? 

*°  By  asserting  his  innocence  Job  would  merely  bring 
about  his  conviction.  The  original  reading  was  clearly  "His 
mouth,"  but  this  was  regarded  by  the  editor  as  too  objectionable, 
since  the  sense  would  be  that  God  by  His  decision  deliberately 
condemns  innocence.     He,  therefore,  changed  it  to  "my." 

®^  The  same  word  {tarn)  used  of  Job  in  i,  i  and  8  and  2,  3. 

*^The  "patient"  Job  is  here  revealed  as  throwing  down 
the  challenge  to  God,  though  he  knows  that  he  may  be  instantly 
killed  for  such  blasphemous  conduct.  The  Greek  version  tries 
to  tone  down  the  blasphemous  implication  by  a  deliberate 
change  of  text.  Instead  of  "I  am  guiltless"  etc.,  it  renders: 
"If  I  were  guilty,  I  would  know  nothing  except  that  my  life 
would  be  taken." 

^  Literally:  "I  know  not  my  soul"  in  the  sense  of  "I  set 
my  life  as  nought." 

^  Some  such  word  must  be  added  to  complete  the  line  to 
three  beats — perhaps  amnam  "indeed,"  which  occurs  frequently 
in  Job. 

229 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

It's  all  one — therefore  I  say: 

The  guiltless  and  the  wicked  He  destroys. 

If  a  scourge  should  suddenly  strike  one, 

He  would  [merely]  laugh  at  the  death  ^^  of  the 

innocent. 
The  earth  is  given  into  the  hand  of  the  wicked;^^ 
The  faces  of  her  judges  are  covered.^ ^ 
[If  it  is  not  so,  how  is  it  ?]^^ 

25         Now  my  days  pass  swifter  than  a  runner ;^^ 
M^ts         [And]  they  flee  without  seeing  joy.^ 
arbitrary.         They  flit  past  as  the  reed  boats  ;2 


^^  So  read  by  a  slight  change. 

^®  A  veiled  allusion  that  God  himself  is  wicked. 

^"^  i.e.,  the  judges  are  blind.  There  is  no  justice  in  a  world, 
created  by  a  supposedly  just  God. 

^  The  line,  as  it  stands,  has  no  parallel  to  go  with  it.  Either 
a  line  has  dropped  out,  or  the  question  is  introduced  by  some 
commentator,  sympathizing  with  Job,  and  who  intended  to 
quote  24,  25  in  full.  The  translation,  "How  is  it.'*"  is  preferable 
to  "Who  is  it.?"  The  poem  here  reaches  its  climax  in  showing 
that  a  man  innocently  punished  as  Job  was  would  be  driven  to 
despair  and  to  blasphemies.  He  would  boldly  declare  that  there 
can  be  no  justice  in  a  world  in  which  such  things  are  permitted. 
The  alternative,  which  is  here  broached,  is  that  blind  cruel  fate 
rules  the  world,  which  assertion  would  cut  at  the  root  of  the 
prophet's  conception  of  Yahweh  as  the  just  and  merciful  Ruler 
and  thus  remove  the  very  basis  on  which  post-exilic  Judaism  rests. 

^®  Note  again  the  psychological  finesse  of  a  return  to  the 
plaint  of  the  sufferer,  as'a  reaction  from  the  mental  strain  which 
has  led  Job  to  utter  charges  against  God.  Verses  25-26  are 
similar  to  7,  6  seq. 

^Literally  "Seeing  good"  in  the  sense  of  enjoyment  for 
which  Ecclesiastes  uses  the  less  classical  construction  to  "look 
upon  good."    See  Jastrow,  A  Gentle  Cynic,  p.  205,  note  18. 

2  i.e.,  the  rafts  that  sweep  down  the  stream. 

230 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

As  an  eagle  swooping  on  the  prey, 

If  I  say  "I  will  forget  my  trouble, 

Change  my  expression  and  be  of  good  cheer, " 

I  shudder  at  all  my  pains;  28 

I  know  that  Thou  wilt  not  release  me.^ 

If  I  were  to  wash  myself  white  as  snow,^  30 

And  to  cleanse  my  hands  with  lye. 

Thou   wouldst   nevertheless    sink    me   into    the 

mire,^ 
And  my  clothes  would  abhor  me/\ 
For  He  is  not  a  man  as  I  am,  that"!  could  answer 

Him;7 
Come,  let  us  go  to  court  together. 
There  is  no  arbiter^  betwixt  us. 
To  lay  his  hands  on  both  of  us. 


^  Again  a  legal  term  to  indicate  a  verdict  of  not  guilty. 
Verse  29  reading: 

"I  am  judged  guilty,  why  then  this  vain  effort?" 

is  a  comment  to  28^,  revealed  as  such  by  its  prosaic  form. 

^  So  read  by  a  slight  change. 

^The  text  has  "into  the  pit,"  one  of  the  names  of  the 
nether  world,  but  the  reading  of  the  Greek  version  "into  the 
mire"  fits  the  context  better. 

^  By  a  slight  change  we  can  obtain  this  reading  in  Hebrew. 
With  his  naked  body  sunk  in  the  mud,  Job  could  say  that  his 
soiled  clothes  would  abhor  the  thought  of  their  being  placed 
on  him. 

^  Again,  in  the  legal  sense  of  answering  a  summons.  See 
in  this  connection  an  interesting  study  on  "The  Summons" 
by  Prof.  D.  W.  Amram  in  the  University  of  Pennsylvania  Law 
Review  for  November,  1919. 

^Literally,  "the  one  who  reproves,"  i.e.,  the  umpire  who 
stands  between  the  contending  parties  and  reproves  the  one 
who  is  in  the  wrong. 

231 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

If   he  would    only  remove   His^  rod  from   me, 
And  not  let  His  terror  startle  me, 
3S         Then  I  would  declare  without  fear  of  Him,*° 
That  He  is  not  fair  to  me." 

JO,  I         I  am  weary  of  my  life; 
No  estate         ^  ^^^^  ^^^^  ^^^^  course  to  my  complaint.^2 
jrom  God's         I  wiU  Say  unto  God :  Thou  canst  not  declare  me 
""^'^-  guilty. 

Let  me  know  what  Thy  charge  is  against  me.^' 
Is  it  pleasing  to  Thee  to  distort  [justice],^* 
To  despise  the  work  of  Thy  hands  ?" 
[Hast  Thou  eyes  of  flesh, 
Or  seest  Thou  with  man's  eyes  ? 
5         Are  Thy  days  as  the  days  of  man  ? 
Thy  years  as  the  years  of  mortal? 
That  Thou  probest  my  transgression; 
And  searchest  my  sin? 


»  i.e.,  God's  rod,  for  which  the  parallel  passage  (13,  21) 
uses  "hand." 

^"^  Job  dares  not  speak  while  God's  rod  is  over  him  and  he 
is  startled  by  the  fear  of  God. 

"  So  Ehrlich's  happy  and  ingenious  interpretation  of  the 
closing  phrase  which  has  puzzled  all  commentators.  In  the 
text  "I"  is  used  for  "Him"  as  elsewhere  in  Job  to  remove  a 
reference  to  God  that  seemed  particularly  distasteful  to  pious 
commentators. 

^^  An  extra  line  suggested  by  the  variant  to  7,  11  reads: 
"I  will  speak  in  the  bitterness  of  my  soul." 

^*  Note  again  the  legal  terms  in  continuation  of  the  picture 
of  a  lawsuit. 

^*  So  Ehrlich's  reading  by  a  transposition  of  two  letters. 
^^  A  superfluous  line, 

"Thou  dost  shine  upon  the  counsel  of  the  wicked" 
is  an  amplifying  gloss  to  explain  the  first  part  of  the  verse. 

232 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

Since  Thou  knowest  that  I  am  not  to  be  saved,  ^^ 
That  there  is  no  escape  from  Thy  hands.]^^ 
Thy  hands  [first]  moulded  and  fashioned  me,         8-17 
And  then  Thou  decidest  ^^  to  altogether  dcstvoy^^fj^ i^ 
me.  ^^^  ^^ 

Remember  that  like  clay  Thou  didst  mould  me, 
And  unto  dust  wilt  bring  me  again.^* 
Didst  Thou  not  pour  me  out  as  milk,  10 

And  like  cheese  didst  curdle  me;^** 
Clothed  me  with  skin  and  flesh. 
And  knitted  me  together  with  bones  and  sinews  ? 
Grace^^  Thou  didst  grant  me; 


^®  So  by  a  slight  change  In  the  text,  which  as  it  stands, 
"  I  shall  not  be  condemned ," 

says  just  the  contrary  of  what  Job  has  in  mind. 

^*  Verses  4-7  interrupt  the  context,  though  they  are  in 
line  with  Job's  indictment  of  God  as  betraying  a  cruelty  which 
one  might  expect  of  a  vicious  and  malicious  human  persecutor, 
bent  upon  searching  for  a  guilt  which  does  not  exist.  The 
verses  may  represent  the  amplification  of  the  indictment  by 
some  one  who  wished  to  further  emphasize  the  callousness  of 
God  to  innocent  suffering. 

1*1  follow  the  reading  of  the  Greek  text — "then"  (or, 
"afterwards")  instead  of  "together."  The  Hebrew  text  has  a 
superfluous  "on  all  sides" — an  erroneous  comment  to  the  read- 
ing "together."  Job  here  (verses  8-15)  brings  a  new  charge — 
and  one  of  a  still  bolder  character. 

1®  The  reference  is  to  the  creation  of  man  in  the  Yahwist 
narrative  (Genesis  2,  7)  out  of  the  dust  of  the  ground  as  a 
potter  moulds  his  clay,  but  only  to  be  returned  to  the  dust 
(Genesis  3,  19).  The  Book  of  Job  thus  assumes  the  existence 
of  the  Genesis  tale  in  its  present  form. 

2^  The  whitish  color  of  the  semen  is  compared  to  milk  and 
cheese. 

21  A  glossator  added  "life,"  which  was  erroneously  em- 
bodied into  the  text.    It  makes  the  line  too  long  by  one  beat. 

233 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

And  Thy  providence  watched  over  my  spirit? 
And  yet  such  things  ^^  Thou  didst  hide  in  Thy 

mind! 
I  know  that  this  is  Thy  way; 
[That]  if  I  sinned  even  while  Thou  kept  watch 

over   me, 
Thou  wouldst  not  acquit  me  of  my  iniquity.  ^^ 
15         If  I  am  guilty — ^woe  is  me ; 

But  [even]  if  I  were  guiltless,  I  could  not  lift  my 

head.24 
Wilt  Thou  25  hunt  me  down  as  a  lion, 
And  thus  unceasingly  manifest  Thy  superiority? 
Constantly  renewing  Thy  attack  upon  me. 
With  ever-increaaing  anger  towards  me  l'^^ 
18-22  Why  didst  Thou  bring  me  forth  from  the  womb  ? 

Would  that 


I  had  not 
been  born. 


^2  i.g.^  misery  and  suffering  during  life  which  not  only  come 
from  God,  but  which  God  intended  should  come. 

2'  Job  argues  that  if  there  is  such  a  thing  as  Divine  provi- 
dence watching  over  men,  then  since  sin  comes  despite  this 
care,  God  should  consistently  not  hold  man  to  account. 

^  Again  a  return  to  the  thought,  that  even  If  one  were 
innocent  it  would  make  no  difference,  since  one  bowed  down 
with  shame  and  misery  cannot  raise  his  head  as  the  virtuous 
and  innocent  man  has  a  right  to  do  (i  I,  15 ;  22,  26).  A  glossator 
added  as  a  superfluous  line,  "filled  with  disgrace  and  satiated 
with  misery  and  trouble."  By  a  slight  change  in  this  gloss  one 
obtains  "satiated"  instead  of  "look  upon"  which  gives  no 
sense;  and  the  strange  word  at  the  beginning  of  the  following 
verse  is  a  corruption  for  the  term  for  "trouble'*  {yagSn).  So 
Ehrlich,  {Randglossen,  6  p.  222)  whom  I  follow. 

^^  In  bitter  irony  Job  asks  whether  in  this  way  by  hunting 
a  helpless  innocent  man  like  a  lion  God's  marvelous  power  Is 
to  be  displayed? 

26  A  gloss  to  the  first  half  of  the  verse  adds:  "with  changes 
of  warfare  towards  me." 

234 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

Why  did  I  [not]^^  expire,  and  no  eye  would  have 

seen  me? 
As  though  I  had  never  been,  would  I  now  be; 
Carried  directly  from  the  womb  to  the  grave. ^^ 
Are  not  the  days  of  my  life  ^^  few?  ^ 

Cease  ^°  and  grant  me  some  cheer, 
Before   I   go,   without   return,   to  the   land   of 

darkness, 
The  land  of  dense  gloom,  and  without  change.^^ 

Thereupon  Zophar,  the  Naamathite,  in  answer  n,  i 

said : 
Should  one  full  of  words  remain  unanswered  ? 
Should  a  babbler  be  acquitted?  1-12. 

Thy  foolish  talk  may  silence  dullards,  and  ^LIT 

Prattling  as  though  there  were  none  to  refute  thee,  ^^^^^"y^^^ 
Now  thou  sayest  "my  argument^^  jg  clear;"  man. 


27  Add  "not,"  following  the  Greek  text. 

28  Harking  back  to  3,  11-13.  Verses  18-22  represent  an- 
other independent  attempt  to  express  the  same  thought,  which 
dominates  chapter  3. 

2^  So  according  to  the  Greek  text,  which  gives  us  a  more 
complete  line  than  the  Hebrew  text. 

2°  A  variant  or  comment  adds:   "Let  (me)  alone." 

^^  More  literally:  "without  any  order,"  i.e.^  without  any 
fixed  succession  of  light  after  darkness.  The  nether  world 
whither  the  dead  go  is  perpetually  dark. 

There  are  two  glosses  to  this  verse — a  gloss  and  a  supergloss 

(a)  "it  lights  up  like  dense  darkness"  (pphel) 

to  explain  the  force  of  the  first  part   of  the   verse,  which  con- 
tains an  obscure  word  {ephatha). 

(b)  "like  ophsn' ==  salmaweth  ("dense  gloom"), 
explaining  the  strange  word  ophel  in  the  gloss  by  a  more  fami- 
liar one,  which  is  erroneously  inserted  also  at  the  end  of  v.  21. 

^2  This  seems  to  be  the  force  of  the  term  usually  rendered 
**  doctrine." 

23s 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

And  thou  art  pure  in  thine  eyes.^^ 
s         But  oh  if  God  might  speak, 

And  open  His  lips  against  thee. 

He  would  reveal  to  thee  what  is  hidden;'* 

And  that  God  holds  thee  to  account.'^ 

Canst  thou  penetrate  to  the  essence  of  God?^^ 

Attain  the  bounds  of  Shaddai? 
8         [Look  at]  the  high  heavens — what  canst  thou  do? 

Of  that  which  is  deeper  than  Sheol — ^what  canst 
thou  know?'^ 
II  For  He  knows  false  men, 

*^Read  "thou  art"  instead  of  "I  am."  The  change  was 
probably  intentionally  made.  The  Greek  text  to  further  tone 
down  Job's  audacity  renders  "do  not  say:  I  am  blameless 
before  Him." 

^i.g.^  "wisdom"  as  a  commentator  adds  to  suggest  that 
Divine  wisdom  is  something  different  from  human  insight. 
Another  commentator  adds  "for  there  are  two  sides  to  insight," 
i.e.,  an  outward  or  superficial  side  accessible  to  man,  and  an 
inner  and  hidden  one,  known  to  God  alone. 

'^Text  adds  by  way  of  explanation:  "of  thy  iniquity." 
I  follow  Ehrlich's  emendation  and  interpretation  of  this  diffi- 
cult line. 

**  More  literally:  "source."   The  word  occurs  again  38, 16. 

"An  amplifier  adds,  v.  9; 

"Longer  than  the  earth  is  its  measure  (i.^.,  of  Sheol) 
Broader  than  the  sea  " 

Another  commentator  harking  back  to  Job's  complaint  (9, 
11-12)  that  no  one  can  follow  God's  course  and  no  one  can 
restrain  Him,  gives  a  pious  turn  to  the  thought  of  Job  by  placing 
in  Zophar's  mouth  (v.  10) : 

"  If  He  seizes  and  imprisons  or  calls  to  the  tribunal, 
Who  can  hinder  Him?" 

"Imprison"  refers  to  punishment  through  disease;  "calling 
to  the  tribunal"  may  mean  gathering  to  the  dead — and  to 
judgment. 

236 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

And  sees  iniquity  which  they  do  not  discern.^^ 
But  a  brainless  man  will  get  understanding, 
[Only]  when  a  wild  ass  is  born  as  a  man.^^ 
If  thou  wouldst  set  thy  mind  aright/^  nelpped 

And  stretch  out  thy  hand  towards  Him, —  of  the  peni- 

Removing  thy  guilt  far  from  thee,  wliifi^^ 

And  not  permitting  wrong  to  dwell  with  thee,     response. 
Then  thou  could  st  lift  up  thy  face;*^  is 

And  stand  firmly  rooted,  without  fear. 
Then  thou  wouldst  forget  trouble; 
Recall  it  merely  as  days  ^^  gone  by. 
Deep  darkness^^  would  become  as  morning; 
And  denseness  ^^  brighter  than  high  noon,^^ 
And  thou  wouldst  be  secure  for  there  would  be 
hope;** 


^  God  knows  how  corrupt  mortals  are,  and  that  many 
sins  are  committed  which  are  never  recognized  as  such,  except 
by  God. 

^  A  bitter  taunt  to  suggest  that  Job  is  hopelessly  stupid 
in  not  recognizing  how  useless  it  is  to  pretend  to  any  real  knowl- 
edge, which  is  reserved  for  God.  Zophar  may  be  quoting  a 
popular  saying. 

**Like  Psalm  51,  12,  "a  clean  mind.'' 

*^The  text  has  a  superfluous  word  "without  blemish," 
which  is  probably  a  corruption  (by  a  slight  change)  for  "on 
high" — a  comment  to  "lift  up." 

^  So  read  by  a  slight  change  instead  of  "waters."  Trouble 
would  be  merely  a  faint  memory. 

^  So  by  a  slight  change  of  the  text,  suggested  by  Ehrlich. 

^  Meaning  "  sorrow  "  that  would  no  longer  weigh  one  down. 

*^  In  contrast  to  Sheol  (10,  22)  where  there  is  perpetual 
darkness  without  hope  of  any  light.  I  follow  the  Greek  text 
in  changing  the  order  of  the  lines,  so  as  to  place  "morning" 
before  "high  noon." 

**  Followed  by  a  variant  line: 

"Thou  wilt  feel  assured  to  lie  down  in  safety.** 
237 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

^9*         Thou  wouldst  lie  down,  with  none  to  make  thee 
afraid. 

Many  will  seek  thy  favor, 
*°         While  the  eyes  of  the  wicked  grow  dim. 

Their  refuge  shall  fail  them, 

And  their  hope  become  a  disappointment.*^ 

12' I         Then  Job  in  answer  said: 
i-^         No  doubt  but  you  are  the  people, 
laughing-stoct         And  with  you  wisdom  will  die.*^ 
and  a  butt.         g^^  J  j^^y^  ^  mind  as  well  as  you;*^ 

And  who  does  not  know  [all]  these  things  ?^° 
A  laughing-stock  to  his  neighbor  has  he  become,^^ 
Who  calls  upon  God  to  answer  him;^^ 
s         A  worthless  torch  to  those  free  from  care  ( ?) ; 
A  target  for  their  blows.  ^' 

^^  Cf.  31,  39,  where  a  similar  phrase  occurs.  Some  codices 
of  the  Greek  translation,  as  for  example,  the  Alexandrlnus, 
add  the  words  "for  with  Him  is  wisdom  and  power."  The 
addition  must  have  been  in  the  Hebrew  text  on  which  the  Alex- 
andrine codex  is  based,  and  furnishes  an  illustration  and  proof 
of  the  amplification  to  which  the  Book  of  Job  must  have  been 
subject  before  the  present  text  was  finally  evolved.  The  addi- 
tion, however,  is  clearly  out  of  place.  It  belongs  perhaps  earlier 
in  the  chapter,  and  becomes  intelligible  as  a  pious  comment 
(taken  over  from  12,  13)  to  verse  5  or  6. 

^^  Uttered  in  bitter  sarcasm. 

^^A  comment  or  variant,  missing  in  the  Greek  version, 
adds:    "I  am  not  inferior  to  you,"  taken  over  from  13  :  2. 

^^i.e.,  your  obvious  platitudes. 

^^  So  read,  as  the  Greek  text  does,  instead  of  the  first  person. 

^2  Cf.  Jer.  20,  7.  A  sympathetic  glossator  adds:  "a  laugh- 
ing stock — the  perfect  righteous  man."  Cf.  Gen.  6,  i,  where 
Noah  Is  thus  described.    See  also  Ps.  15,  2. 

^^The  entire  5th  verse,  which  has  occasioned  much  dlflfi- 
culty  to  commentators,  is  almost  hopelessly  corrupt — especially 

238 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

While  the  tents  of  the  robbers  prosper, 

And  there  is  security  for  those  who  provoke 

God.s* 
But  ask  now  of  the  beasts  ;^^  l:^},  .,, 

Ill  ^°^  builds 

And  the  bird  of  heaven  to  tell  thee;  up  bu{ also 

What  crawls^^  on  the  earth  to  teach  thee; 

And  the  fish  of  the  sea  to  tell  thee. 

[Who  does  not  know  all  these  things  9 

That  the  hand  of  Yahweh  does  this?]^^ 

Cannot  the  ear  test  words,  n 

And  the  palate  taste  for  itself  ?^^ 


tears  down. 


the  second  half.  I  follow  Ehrlich's  restoration  as  the  most 
probable  solution,  though  not  altogether  satisfactory.  The  first 
half  contains  a  superfluous  word  "the  one  of  ease,"  which  is  a 
comment  to  the  strange  and  perhaps  corrupt  word  that  precedes. 

^  A  pious  annotator  adds  "whom  God  holds  in  His  power." 

^^A  comment,  which  makes  the  line  too  long,  adds:  "to 
teach  thee." 

^^  So  read  by  a  slight  change  of  the  text,  suggested  many 
years  ago  by  Hitzlg  {Hiob,  p.  91).  The  line  is  missing  in  the 
original  Greek  version. 

^^A  pious  commentator  adds  (verse  10)  In  prose  form, 
though  In  elevated  diction: 
"In  whose  hand  is  the  soul  of  every  living  being  and  the  breath  of  all  mankind." 

The  insertion  is  inartistic,  because  it  interrupts  the  sequence 
of  the  thought.  Moreover,  it  is  banal  to  dwell  upon  what  is 
obvious,  particularly  when  in  verses  13  seq.  the  argument  of 
Zophar  that  God's  will  and  power  are  alike  supreme,  is  summar- 
ized in  an  impressive  and  poetic  manner.  The  introduction  of 
the  name  Yahweh  In  9»,  not  used  by  the  author  of  the  philosoph- 
ical poem  (except  in  28,  28 — an  added  chapter  which  has  no 
connection  with  the  Book  of  Job),  suggests  that  the  9th  verse 
may  likewise  be  a  later  addition.  It  Is  missing  in  the  earlier 
Greek  versions. 

^^i.e.,  everybody  can  find  this  out  for  himself.  It  is  as 
simple  as  hearing  and  tasting.  The  verse  is  a  popular  saying 
which  is  quoted  again  34,  3.  It  is  missing  in  some  Hebrew  codices. 

239 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

H         If  He  tears  down,  it  is  not  rebuilt; 

If  He  shuts  a  man  in,  he  is  not  released. ^^ 
IS  If  He  withholds  the  waters,  they  remain  in  their 

place  ;^° 
If  He  sends  them  out,  they  engulf  the  earth. 
16-24         With  Him  is  strength  and  insight; 
^T/aLZ         Under  Him  is  the  error  and  its  cause.  ^^ 

20         He  takes  away  speech  from  the  trustworthy,  ^^ 

Verses  12-13  are  maxims  added  by  some  commentator  In 
view  of  V.  16. 

"[Not]  with  greybeards  is  wisdom, 
Nor  understanding  with  the  aged. 
With  Him  is  wisdom  and  might; 
With  Him  is  counsel  and  intelligence." 

The  addition  of  "not"  seems  to  be  required  by  the  context  and 
is  favored  by  the  parallel  32,  9. 

^^  The  Targum  refers  this  line  to  the  grave. 

*°So  read  instead  of  "dry  up,"  as  a  better  parallel  to 
"engulf." 

^^  Literally  "what  causes  error."  A  fine  though  bold 
thought  that  the  sinner  acts  under  God's  control,  that  there 
can  be  no  sin,  therefore,  unless  God  wills  it. 

^^t.^r.,  deprives  them  of  their  reason.  The  "trustworthy 
ones"  are  the  elders,  whose  wisdom  is  their  distinguishing  mark. 
Verses  17-19  represent  expansions  of  the  thought  expressed  in 
verses  20-21.  These  additions,  while  furnishing  further  illus- 
trations of  how  God  lowers  those  who  once  occupied  high  posi- 
tions, also  are  Intended  to  give  a  different  turn  to  Job's  thought. 
See  the  following  note: 

(17)  "He  strips  counsellors  of  authority 
And  makes  judges  fools." 

is  an  amplification  of  verse  20,  with  19  as  a  variant: 

"He  strips  priests  of  authority. 
And  overthrows  those  who  were  [regarded  as]  permanent.*' 

" Counsellers "  and  the  "permanent  ones"  are  taken  as  syno- 
nyms of  the  "trustworthy";  "priests"  and  "judges,"  as  the 
equivalents  to  "elders."     Verse  18  is  the  expansion  of  v.  21. 

240 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

And  deprives  elders  of  understanding. 

He  pours  contempt  upon  the  nobles,  ^' 

And  loosens  the  belt  of  the  rulers.  ^^ 

He  takes  away  the  reason  of  the  chiefs,  ^*  ^* 

And  leads  them  astray  into  a  trackless  chaos.  ^^ 


^^ Nobles  and  rulers  are  synonymous.  "Loosening  the 
belt"  is  the  metaphor  for  loss  of  authority.  The  amplifier 
introduces  as  an  expansion  of  this  thought  v.  i8.: 

"He  loosens  the  girdle  [i.e.y  their  strength  or  authorityl  of  kings" 

and  then  by  way  of  contrast,  adds: 

"And  binds  their  loins  with  a  (common)  girdle" 

i.e.^  reduces  their  rank  to  that  of  the  ordinary  man.  The  line 
is  missing  in  all  the  earlier  Greek  versions,  as  also  v.  21*.  Note, 
hftwever,  that  the  main  thought  of  verses  20,  21  and  24  is  to 
show  how  God  lowers  those  of  high  estate  [the  "trustworthy, " 
"elders,''  "nobles,"  "rulers/;  and  "chiefs"]  and  not  how  the 
lowly  are  raised  to  high  positions,  which  has  no  bearing  on  the 
argument.  For  this  reason,  v.  23,  which  emphasizes  the  vicissi- 
tudes in  the  fortunes  of  peoples  from  high  to  low  and  vice  versa 
is  likewise  to  be  regarded  as  an  insertion,  apart  from  the  fact 
that  in  passing  from  the  fate  of  individuals  controlled  by  God 
to  peoples,  a  further  nuance  is  introduced  which  is  foreign  to  the 
main  argument.    The  23rd  verse  reads: 

"He  exalts  nations,  and  destroys  them; 
He  spreads  peoples,  and  overthrows  them." 

Also  V.  22: 

"He  reveals  hidden  things  out  of  darkness; 
He  brings  what  is  dark  to  the  light." 

is  evidently  a  saying  introduced  here  by  some  amplifier,  but 
entirely  out  of  the  context. 

^The  line  has  a  superfluous  word  "people,"  which  makes 
it  too  long. 

^^  The  line  together  with  21^  is  found  again  Psalms  107,  40. 
A  pious  amplifier  adds  (v.  25)  by  way  of  comment: 

"So  that  they  grope  in  darkness  without  light, 
And  He  makes  them  stagger  like  a  drunken  man." 

16  241 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

13,1         All  this  my  eye  has  seen;^^ 

My  ear  has  heard  and  understood. 
As  much  as  you  know,  I  know; 
I  am  not  inferior  to  you. 
But  I  wish  to  address  myself  to  Shaddai;" 
My  desire  is  to  argue  with  God. 
'friends  as         You  are  merely  plasterers  of  lies;^^ 
^""['ittZtt         Quacks  «»  all  of  you. 

5  If  you  would  only  hold  your  peace, 

It  would  be  wisdom  on  your  part.  ^° 
Listen  now  to  my  argument,  ^^ 
And  hearken  to  my  pleading! 
Will  you  undertake  to  defend  God  by  a  false- 
hood ? 


Job  de- 
nounces his 


*•  While  this  entire  section  12,  7-25  is  thus  shown  to  con- 
tain many  insertions  and  amplifications,  there  is  no  reason  to 
follow  Siegfried,  who  takes  the  whole  section  as  a  later  interpo- 
lation in  the  interest  of  orthodoxy.  If  one  reads  the  section  in 
the  correct  spirit,  it  will  be  found  that  Job  is  merely  anxious  to 
show  that  he  knows  that  changes  in  fortunes  are  due  to  God. 
The  later  additions,  however,  are  due  to  orthodox  amplifiers  of 
the  original  book.    See  above  to  12,  3. 

"Job  returns  to  his  point  that  he  has  a  charge  to  bring 
against  God.  He  does  not  deny  that  all  that  happens  is  due  to 
God  and  that  He  brings  about  the  fall  of  those  of  high  estate. 
The  point  is  that  God  does  this  without  giving  those  who  are 
to  be  severely  dealt  with  a  chance  to  plead  their  cause.  God 
acts  wilfully  and  not  like  a  fair  judge  who  decides  after  hearing 
testimony.  Throughout  this  chapter  as  in  chapter  10,  legal 
terminology  is  freely  introduced. 

**  You  coat  your  utterances  with  lies. 

^®  Literally:  "worthless  healers."  There  is  a  superfluous 
"But"  or  "However"  at  the  beginning  of  this  line,  repeated 
by  error  from  the  preceeding  verse. 

^0  Cf.  Proverbs  17,  28. 

'1  So  the  Greek  text. 

242 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

To  make  a  deceitful  plea  for  Him  V^ 

[Do  you  propose  to  show  favor  to  Him,  ^^ 

Or  to  plead  on  behalf  of  God?^^  ] 

Would  it  be  well  if  He  should  examine  you  ?  9 

Or  do  you  think  to  deceive  Him  as  one  deceives 

a  man?^^ 
Does  His  majesty  not  terrify  you,  " 

And  fear  of  Him  not  overwhelm  you  ? 
Your  sayings  ^^  are  without  point  ;^^ 
Your  arguments  are  mere  clay.^* 
Hold  your  peace  ^^  that  I  may  speak,  13-22 

Whatever  may  come  to  me.^°  J?^/ffi^( 

I  Will  bite^^   my  flesh  with  my  teeth,  assurance 


of  his 


'2  Job  charges  his  friends  with  pleading  God's  case  hy  innocence. 
forging  lies  and  by  utterances  which  they  know  to  be  deceitful. 

^^  i.e.,  to  twist  facts  so  as  to  show  God  to  be  in  the  right. 

'*f^.,  to  plead  His  cause,  as  though  God  needed  you  to 
act  as  His  defendants?  The  verse  contains  only  two  beats 
in  each  line.  It  may  be  a  later  insertion  by  someone  who  tried 
his  hand  at  expressing  the  same  thought  as  in  v.  7. 

'^  Verse  10,  in  prose  form,  appears  to  be  an  explanatory 
addition  to  v.  7.  It  reads:  "He  would  surely  rebuke  you,  if 
you  secretly  showed  favor." 

^*  Literally,  "reminders." 

^^  Literally,  "ash  proverbs,"  i.e.,  without  vitality. 

^®  I  follow  Ehrlich's  happy  interpretation  of  this  line. 
Literally  "your  hints  are  clay  lumps"  in  the  sense  of  worthless 
arguments,  as  easily  crushed  as  bits  of  clay. 

^^  Hebrew  text  has  "before  me"  which  is  superfluous  and 
is  not  found  in  the  Greek  version. 

^°  Literally,  "what  upon  what"  in  the  sense  of  "whatsoever." 

^^  So  read  by  a  slight  change  in  the  text.  To  bite  one's 
own  flesh  is  a  picturesque  metaphor  to  indicate  that  one  will 
take  the  responsibility  for  injury  on  oneself.  The  word  "where- 
fore" at  the  beginning  of  this  verse  in  the  ordinary  English 
translations  is  part  of  the  idiomatic  phrase  at  the  close  of  the 
preceding  verse.    See  the  preceding  note. 

243 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

And  put  my  life  in  my  hand. 
'5         Aye,  though  He  slay  me,  I  tremble  not;^^ 

For  all  that,  I  will  maintain  His^^  course  to  His 
face.^* 
17  Listen,  therefore,  to  my  speech, 

That  I  may  declare  it  to  your  ears ! 

Behold,  I  have  prepared  my  case,^^ 

I  know  that  I  am  innocent. 

Who  is  there  that  can  contend  with  me,^® 


^The  traditional  translation  "though  he  slay  me,  yet  will 
I  trust  in  Him,"  has  long  been  abandoned  by  modern  scholars. 
Even  the  RV  admits  as  a  marginal  reading,  "  I  have  no  hope." 
The  translation  of  the  American  Jewish  Publication  Society  is 
alone  in  retaining  the  traditional  rendering,  which  is  just  the 
contrary  of  what  Job  in  his  anguish  declares.  This  traditional 
rendering  rests  upon  an  intentional  change  on  the  part  of  the 
Jewish  theologians — the  Massoretes — of  the  word  "not"  to  "in 
him."  In  Hebrew  the  two  words  sound  alike.  The  text  has 
correctly  "not"  while  the  marginal  reading  proposes  "to  him." 
The  verb  following  is  to  be  read  ahU^  "  I  tremble,"  as  Ehrlich 
has  recognized.  The  Massoretes  inverted  two  letters  to  get  a 
different  meaning.    See  above  p.  121  seq. 

^  Read  "His  course"  instead  of  "my  course"  by  a  slight 
change.  This  change  was  likewise  made  with  intent  to  tone 
down  the  blasphemous  audacity  of  Job  in  throwing  down  the 
challenge  to  God. 

®*  i.e,^  I  will  continue  to  charge  God  with  injustice  towards 
me.  The  phraseology  is  legal.  The  conciliatory  glossator  to 
take  off  the  sharp  edge  of  Job's  severe  indictment  of  God  adds 
in  prose  form  (v.  16): 

"Aye,  thl«  will  be  my  salvation,  that  the  impious  will  not  come  before  Him." 

That  is  precisely  what  Job  in  his  present  mood  did  not  and  could 
not  say. 

*^  Again  legal  phraseology.    Cf.  23,  4. 


®^  i.e.,  answer  me  in  court. 


244 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

That  I  should  now  hold  my  peace  and  die?*^ 

Only  two  things  do  not  ^^  unto  me,  20 

Then  I  will  not  hide  myself  from  Thee.^^ 

Only  remove  Thy  hand  ®°  from  me; 

And  let  Thy  terror  not  startle  me. 

Then  call  [to  judgment],  and  I  will  answer  the 

summons  ;^^ 
Or  let  me  speak  ^^  and  Thou  answer  me. 
How  many  are  my  iniquities  and  sins?  J3-?? 

T  1  .  1     .     I  Godtt 

Let  me  know  my  transgression  and  sm !  cruel  to 

Why  dost  Thou  hide  Thy  face  from  me,  ^^' 

And  regardest  me  as  Thy  enemy  .^ 

Harassing  a  driven  leaf,  as 

And  pursuing  dry  stubble. 

For  Thou  inscribest  against  me  past  deeds,  ®' 

And    cl^argest    me    with    the  iniquities   of  my 

youth. 
Thou  puttest  my  feet  in  stocks,** 
Which  press  against  my  ankles  ;*'^ 


^^  The  line  is  missing  in  the  earlier  Greek  version. 

^The  Greek  text  omits  "not,"  which  does  not,  however, 
affect  the  meaning  of  the  verse. 

^  i.e.,  not  be  afraid  of  God,  as  Job  confesses  he  is,  because 
of  God's  terrible  and  unjustifiable  anger.  The  line  is  missing 
in  the  original  Greek  version. 

^° Literally:  "palm"  in  the  sense  of  control  or  grasp. 
Cf.  above  9,  34. 

^^  To  defend  myself.    Note  again  the  legal  phraseology. 

®^  i.e.,  bring  the  charge  against  God. 

^  So  Ehrlich's  interpretation. 

^  A  superfluous  line  reading: 

"And  Thou  keepest  guard  over  all  my  ways" 

is  inserted  from  33,  11. 

•^  The  joints  or  ankles — not  the  soles — are  meant. 


14,1 

1-22 

Death  with- 
out further 
hope  as  the 
end  of  man^s 
3       short  and 
troublesome 
existence. 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

So  that  I  ^^  am  like  a  decaying  substance, 
Like  a  moth-eaten  garment. 

Man  is  bom  of  woman, 

Few  of  days  and  full  of  trouble. 

He  comes  forth  like  a  flower  and  withers; 

Fleeing  as  a  disappearing  shadow. 

Hast  Thou  indeed  considered  this,  ^^ 

In  bringing  him  ®^  to  judgment?  ^^ 

Since  his  days  are  determined, 

And  his  months  numbered  with  Thee,^ 

Look  away  from  him  and  desist. 

Until  he  accomplishes  his  day  ^  as  a  hireling. 

For  there  is  hope  for  a  tree  if  cut  down,^ 

That  its  tendril  will  not  cease. 

Though  its  root  wax  old  in  the  earth. 

And  its  stock  die  in  the  ground; 


^®  So  read  instead  of  "he."  Here  the  translation  of  the 
American  Jewish  Publication  Society  makes  the  change,  but 
without  indicating  that  it  is  deviating  from  the  Massoretic  text, 
the  inviolability  of  which  it  usually  maintains  with  the  rigidity 
of  a  dogma.  The  same  metaphor  is  found  Is.  50,  9,  though  in 
a  different  connection. 

^''This  is  the  force  of  the  phrase  "hast  Thou  opened  Thy 
eyes  in  regard  to  this.?'* 

*^  So  read  as  in  the  Greek  and  Syriac  versions,  instead  of 
me. 

^*Text  has  an  additional  "with  Thee"  which  makes  the 
line  too  long.  A  pious  glossator  adds  verse  4:  "Can  one  bring 
clean  out  of  unclean?  Not  one."  i.e.^  every  man  is  by  nature 
unclean, — full  of  sin.    Similarly,  Psalm  14,  3^. 

^  An  explanatory  gloss,  forming  a  superfluous  line,  adds, 
"Thou  hast  appointed  his  limit,  which  is  not  to  be  passed." 

2  i.e.y  satisfies  the  master  by  completing  the  day's  work. 

*A  gloss  adds  "that  it  will  sprout  again,"  which  makes 
the  line  too  long  by  one  beat. 

246 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

Through  the  scent  of  water  ^  it  will  bud, 

And  put  forth  boughs  like  a  shoot. 

But  man  dies  and  passes  away;  lo 

He  expires,  and  how  is  it  with  him?* 

Man  when  he  lies  down  will  not  rise;'  12 

Till  the  heavens  be  no  more,   they  shall  not 

awake.  ^ 
Oh  that  Thou  wouldst  hide  me  in  Sheol, 
Conceal  me  till  Thy  anger  is  past!  * 
[Appoint  a  time  for  me  and  [then]  remember  me, 
If  [forsooth]  a  man  who  dies  can  revive.]^ 


*Not  the  "odor  of  water"  for,  as  Ehrllch  properly  says, 
water  ordinarily  has  no  odor. 

^Not  "where  is  he"  which  is  banal.    Verse  11  reading: 

"Waters  drain  the  sea, 
And  the  stream  dries  up." 

interrupts    the    context,    and    is    an   inserted   quotation   from 
Isaiah  19,  5. 

®  The  tree  is  revived  though  the  proximity  of  water,  but 
man  cannot  be  resuscitated  though  all  the  water  in  the  world 
be  poured  over  him. 

^  A  commentator  adds  a  superfluous  line: 

"They  shall  not  be  roused  out  of  their  sleep" 

The  words  are  missing  in  the  original  Greek  version  and  in 
Jerome's  translation. 

^  Job  longs  for  death,  but  with  a  human  touch  only  as  a 
temporary  state. 

*  To  take  this  line,  as  is  usually  done,  as  though  Job  were 
asking  a  question,  would  be  in  place  if  the  question  were  asked 
by  some  commentator,  but  this  presupposes  that  Job  voices 
his  belief  in  a  revival  of  the  dead.  That  surely  cannot  be  the 
case  in  view  of  what  he  has  just  said  (verses  10-12).  We  have 
therefore  the  alternative  of  regarding  the  line, 

"Appoint  a  time  for  me  and  remember  me" 
(a)  as  a  variant  or  explanation  to  v.  13  ^  and  then  take  14*  as 

247 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

All  the  days  of  my  service^  *^  would  I  wait, 

Until  my  charged  estate  should  come. 
15         Thou  wouldst  call,  and  I  would  answer  Thee; 

Eager  for  Thy  act  of  grace.^^ 

In  that  case  Thou  wouldst  guide  ^^  my  steps, 

And  not  keep  track  of  my  sin.^^ 

My  transgression  would  be  sealed  in  a  bag, 

And  thou  wouldst  cover  ^*  up  my  iniquity. 

But  instead, ^^ — [as]  the  falling  mountain  crum- 
bles. 

And  the  rock  is  torn  from  its  place; 

And  water  wears  the  stones; 

And  the  shower  washes  away  the  soil;^^ 
^         Thou    art    wroth    with    him,    and    he     passes 
away;^^ 


an  interpolated  question,  or  (b)  if  13"  and  14*  are  to  form  a 
hemistich,  then  we  must  take  the  words  as  indicated  in  the  trans- 
lation— expressing  the  doubt  as  to  the  realization  of  the  wish 
expressed. 

^°  i.e.,  whatever  period  Thou  wouldst  assign  to  me  as  my 
term  in  Sheol. 

"  Literally:  "The  work  of  Thy  hands,"  but  in  the  sense 
of  what  "Thou  wouldst  do  to  me,"  wz.,  restore  me  to  life  after 
divine  anger  is  past. 

"Literally:  "count"  as  a  loving  father  follows  the  first 
efforts  of  the  child  at  walking.  The  common  translation  of 
V.  16  is  entirely  astray. 

^^  As  God  is  doing  now.    See  above  13,  27'*  (gloss). 

1*  Literally,  "plaster." 

"  Job  realizes  that  there  is  no  hope  of  man  coming  back 
to  life  again  after  death  has  come. 

^*A  commentator  adds  a  superfluous  Hne,  "So  thou 
destroyest  man's  hope."  The  verse  is  missing  in  the  older 
Greek  versions  and  in  Jerome's  translation. 

^^Text  adds  "forever,"  which  is  in  place,  but  makes  the 
line  too  long. 

248 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

In  anger, ^^  Thou  dismissest  him. 

His  sons  may  come  to  honor,  but  he  does  not 
know  it; 

They  may  be  brought  low,  but  he  does  not  per- 
ceive it. 

Only  his  own  flesh  pains  him. 

And  he  grieves  for  himself  alone  ^^ 

Then  Eliphaz  the  Temanite  in  answer  said :  'S»  i 

Should  a  wise  man  answer  wind,^** 

And  fill  his  belly  with  east  wind  t 

Reasoning  without  purpose,  ^m^haz 

And  with  words  that  are  of  no  avail  .^  taunts  job 

Just  as  little  canst  thou  argue  away  fear  of  God,^^  IniquUy  and 

And  diminish  respect  before  God.  hisvaunud 

TTTi  .....  I  1     „«  superiority. 

When  thy  miquity  mstructs  thy  mouth, ^^  5 

And  thou  choosest  the  manner  of  sophists,  ^^ 
Thy  mouth  convicts  thee — not  He;^^ 


^* Literally:  "changing  his  countenance,"  for  which  we 
have  a  parallel  phrase  in  Assyrian,  used  in  the  sense  of  "being 
distressed  or  angry"  like  "fallen  countenance"  (Genesis  4,  5). 
Since  the  phrase  refers  to  God,  we  should  perhaps  read  "chang- 
ing Thy  countenance." 

^^  In  Sheol  man  is  only  conscious  of  his  own  hopeless  state. 

*°Text  adds  "knowledge"  before  "wind,"  i.e.,  knowledge 
that  is  mere  wind,  without  substance.  This  is  clearly  a  comment 
and  makes  the  line  too  long.    Cf.  8,  i  and  16,  3. 

2^  i.e.,  to  answer  thee  is  as  futile  as  thy  attempt  to  diminish 
reverence  by  thy  blasphemous  charges  against  God. 

22  i.f.^  when  thy  wickedness  puts  thy  words  into  thy  mouth. 

23  Literally:  "the  tongue  of  the  crafty,"  i.e.,  word  twisters. 

2'*Text  "I,"  an  intentional  change  to  avoid  an  objec- 
tionable reference  to  God,  as  above,  9,  20  and  13,  15  and 
elsewhere. 

249 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

Thy  lips  testify  against  thee.^^ 
Wast  thou  born  at  the  beginning F^^ 
Brought  forth  before  the  hills? 
Hast  thou  overheard  the  secret  of  God  ? 
And  hast  thou  monopolized  wisdom  ? 
What  dost  thou  know  that  we  do  not  know  ? 
And  what  understanding  hast  thou  which  is  not 
with  us? 
*o         [Elder  and  greybeard  are  among  us— 

More  than  old  enough  to  be  thy  father^^] 
Are  consolations  ^s  too  small  for  thee, 
And  the  word  that  deals  gently  with  thee  ? 
What  has  taken  hold  of  thy  mind  ? 
And  why  are  thy  eyes  haughty  ?2^ 
[And]  thou  desirest  to  give  thy  spirit  back  to 
God,3o 


2^  Again  legal  phraseology. 

'®An  allusion  to  Proverbs  8,  22  where  wisdom  says, 
"The  Lord  made  me  as  the  beginning  of  His  way."  Eliphaz 
asks  Job  whether  he  regards  himself  as  older  and,  therefore, 
superior  to  wisdom ?  The  sarcastic  insertion  38,  21  harks  back 
to  our  verse. 

2^  Not  to  be  taken  literally,  as  though  Job's  father  were 
still  alive.  Eliphaz  is  here  quoting  a  popular  saying,  as  Elihu 
does,  32,  9,  or  somebody  has  inserted  the  maxim  at  this  point 
as  appropriate.  The  verse  is  missing  in  the  older  Greek  versions 
and  in  Jerome's  translation. 

2*  Such  as  the  three  friends  have  offered.  A  commentator 
adds  "God"  after  consolations,  which  misses  the  point  and 
makes  the  line  too  long  by  one  beat.  The  Greek  versions  omit 
the  word. 

^  So  the  Greek  text,  as  in  Proverbs  30,  13. 

'°  i.e.,  that  thou  wishest  to  die.  So  Ehrlich's  happy  inter- 
pretation with  a  reference,  perhaps  to  the  addition  to  Ecclesi- 
astes  12,  7. 

250 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

And  givest  utterance  to  [foolish]  talk  P^^ 

What  is  man  that  he  should  think  himself  pure  ? 

And  the  one  bom  of  woman  that  he  should  be 

innocent  ? 
Even  his  holy  ones  '^  he  does  not  trust —  'S 

And  the  heavens  are  not  pure  in  his  sight  ;^^ 
How  much  less  one  that  is  of  low  estate  and  im- 
pure, 
Man  who  drinks  iniquity  like  water  ?^* 

Listen  to  what  I  will  tell  thee ;  ^-35 

And    what    I    have    seen    I    will  declare   unto  fate  of  the 

thee—  ''''^'^' 

What  wise  men  have  told, 
And  what  their  fathers  have  not  concealed  from 

them;«5 
[To  whom  the  land  belonged 
With  no  stranger  in  their  midst].'* 
All  his  days  the  wicked  is  in  terror,  ^ 


^^  Eliphaz  knows  that  Job  does  not  mean  what  he  says 
when  he  longs  for  death.    That  is  idle  chatter. 

^2  i.e.,  his  angels  or  ministers.  Cf.  4,  18,  which  Is  here 
repeated. 

^'The  Alexandrine  Codex  of  the  Greek  version  has  an 
additional  phrase;  "and  the  stars  are  not  pure." 

^  i.e.,  commits  sin,  as  readily  as  one  drinks  water.  A 
similar  phrase,  perhaps  quoted  from  our  passage,  occurs  34,  7 
in  a  speech  of  Elihu,  who  applies  it  to  Job. 

^^  So  by  a  slight  change,  supported  by  the  Greek  text. 

*^An  obscure  verse — usually  explained  as  a  reference  to 
the  great  age  of  the  traditional  wisdom  which  Eliphaz  is  reveal- 
ing, going  back  to  the  days  when  the  population  was  not  yet 
mixed  through  the  advent  of  strangers.  The  verse  may  repre- 
sent a  later  addition.  It  Is  only  partially  preserved  in  the  orig- 
inal Greek  version.  The  word  "alone"  in  the  first  half  is  clearly 
superfluous. 

251 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

And  the  number  of  [his]  years  are  Hmited." 

A  sound  of  terror  is  in  his  ears; 

Even  when  secure,  he  [imagines]  a  destroyer  to  be 
coming   against   him.^^ 
*2         He  has  no  hope  to  escape  from  darkness; 

[Believes  himself]  destined  for  the  sword.^^ 
^         Distress  and  anguish  startle  him, 

Overpower  him  as  fated  (?)  for  destruction  ^  (?) 
*S         Because  he  stretched  out  his  hand  against  God, 

And  showed  himself  insolent  against  Shaddai; 

[Who  rushes  upon  him  as  against  a  foe;*^ 

Shatters  (?) his  shield/^ 

Though  he  has  covered  his  face  with  his  fatness, 

And  added  to  the  fat  on  his  loins;] 

He  will  inhabit  ruined  cities, 


^^The  text  adds:  "for  the  oppressor,"  which  makes  the 
line  too  long. 

^*The  wicked  is  haunted  by  fear,  even  when  he  is  per- 
fectly safe. 

^®  t.^.,  to  be  murdered.  Verse  23  consists  of  a  series  of 
glosses,  erroneously  united  together  (a)  "  he  wanders  about  for 
bread" — a  gloss  to  24*  (b)  "where  is  it" — perhaps  a  supergloss, 
(c)  he  knows  that  it  is  ready  at  hand" — a  gloss  to  "destined  for 
the  sword,"  (d)  "day  of  darkness,"  either  an  explanation  of 
"darkness"  (v.  22)  or  a  variant. 

*^The  line  is  obscure,  because  of  the  corruptness  of  the  text. 
The  word  "king,"  for  which  the  Greek  version  has  "general" 
is  clearly  a  gloss — perhaps  at  a  wrong  place.  The  last  word, 
usually  rendered  "battle"  is  entirely  obscure.  The  general 
sense  is  all  that  one  can  gather. 

^^  So  the  reading  proposed  by  Ehrlich  instead  of  "neck" 
which  gives  no  sense. 

^2  Text  again  corrupt.  The  context  demands  a  reference 
to  God's  shattering  the  shield  of  the  wicked.  Verses  26-27  are 
missing  in  the  older  Greek  versions. 

252 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

Houses  that  are  deserted  of  man."*^ 

His  riches^^  and  substance  shall  not  endure, 

And  his  possession  (?)^^  shall  not  cling  (?)  to  the 

ground. 
The  hot  flame  shall  dry  up  his  branch,  3© 

And  his  fruit  ^^  shall  pass  away."*^ 
Before  its  time  his  palm  branch  ^  shall  wither;^®  3^ 
And  his  leafage  shall  not  remain  green. 
He  shall  shake  off  as  a  vine  his  unripe  grape; 
And  he  shall  cast  off  as  an  olive  tree  his  blossom. 
For  the  company  of  the  impious  shall  be  desolate, 
And  fire  shall  consume  the  tents  of  bribery. 
Conceiving  mischief  and  iniquity,  ^°  35 

Their  belly  will  bring  forth  deception. ^^ 

Then  Job  in  answer  said :  i6,  i 

I  have  heard  many  such  things; 


*^A  glossator  adds  "destined  for  mound  heaps,"  as  the 
explanation  to  the  first  half  of  the  verse. 

^  More  literally:    "He  shall  not  remain  rich." 

*^  The  Hebrew  text  is  corrupt,  but  the  parallelism  suggests 
a  synonym  for  substance.  Verse  30*  "He  shall  not  escape  from 
the  darkness"  is  a  misplaced  gloss  to  v.  22*. 

^*  So  by  a  slight  change  in  the  text,  favored  by  the  Greek 
version. 

*^  Verse  3 1  (in  prose  form) : 

"Let  him  not  trust  in  deceptive  vanity,  for  it  will  be  vanity," 

represents  a  pious  reflection  by  some  commentator. 

^  So  by  a  different  vocalization  of  the  word  wrongly 
attached  to  the  preceding  verse. 

**  So  by  a  textual  change. 

^°The  same  phrase  Is.  59  14.  The  line  appears  to  have 
four  beats,  instead  of  the  usual  three.  Perhaps  "breeding"  is 
to  be  omitted. 

^^  i.e.,  though  the  evil  doers  plan  mischief — ^the  result  will 
be  disappointment  to  them.    They  will  be  cheated  of  their  aim. 

253 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

1-^7         Sorry  comforters  ^^  that  you  are. 
despair  with-         Is  there  any  end  to  windy  words  ?^^ 

out  hope.         Qj.  ^hat  do  you  suffer  ^^  when  answering? 
I  also  could  speak  like  you, 
If  you  were  in  my  stead. 
I  could  overwhelm  you^^  with  words, 
And  shake  my  head  at  you. 
5         But  I  would  strengthen  you  by  my  speech ; 

And  the  sympathy  of  my  lips^®  would  give  ease.^^ 
Though   now  if   I   do   speak,   my  pain   is   not 

assuaged; 
And  if  I  forbear,  what  do  I  gain  by  it?^^ 
For  Thou  ^^  hast  worsted  me; 
Thou  hast  confused  all  my  arguments. 
[Thou  has  shrivelled  me  up  to  become  a  wit- 

ness;^° 
And  my  leanness  rises  up  against  me."] 

^2  The  comfort  that  Job's  friends  offer  is  to  prove  in  long 
and  tedious  discourses  that  he  must  be  an  awful  sinner.  What 
purpose  does  that  serve?    says  Job. 

^^  i,g.,  one  could  go  on  forever  talking  nonsensically. 

"  It  is  easy  enough  to  speak  when  one  is  not  in  pain. 

"A  verbal  form  is  used,  indicative  of  stringing  words 
together  in  a  somewhat  contemptuous  sense. 

^^  Literally,  "movement  of  my  lips." 

"  z./f.,  in  your  place,  I  would  speak  words  that  would  give 
comfort  and  that  would  ease  the  pain  of  a  suffering  fellow-man. 

^  Speaking  or  keeping  silent — it  is  all  the  same. 

^^  So  read  instead  of  "  now,"  and  change  the  verb  to  the 
second  person. 

*°This  eighth  verse  is  not  found  in  the  original  Greek 
version  and  may  well  be  a  later  Insertion.  The  sense  seems  to 
be  that  Job's  body,  emaciated  through  disease,  is  a  witness  to 
God's  anger  at  him,  though  for  no  justifiable  cause. 

^^A  commentator  by  way  of  explanation  adds  "answers 
against  him." 

254 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

[He  ^2  has  shown  his  contempt  ^^  and  humiliated 

me; 
He  has  gnashed  his  teeth  upon  me.]^* 
They  gape  upon  me  with  their  mouth ;^^  *® 

They  smite  my  cheeks  scornfully.  ^^ 
God  delivers  me  unto  the  evildoers; 
Into  the  hands  of  the  wicked  He  casts  me. 

I  was  at  ease  and  He  crushed  me; 

He  seized  hold  of  my  neck  and  dashed  me  to 

pieces; 
He  set  me  up  as  His  target/^ 
With  many  ®*  encompassing  me ; 
He  split  my  reins  mercilessly, 
And  poured  out  my  gall  ^^  upon  the  ground. 


^2  t.<f.,  my  human  adversary. 

^Literally:  "He  has  turned  up  his  nose."  So  Ehrlich's 
explanation. 

**A  glossator  adds  as  a  variant,  "My  adversary  fixes  his 
eyes  upon  me."  Because  of  the  change  from  the  singular  (v.  9) 
to  the  plural  (v.  10)  one  of  the  two  verses  may  be  a  later  inser- 
tion. By  omitting  verse  9  as  a  later  addition,  we  avoid  the 
strange  transitions  from  the  address  to  God  (v.  7)  to  a  human 
adversary  (v.  9)  and  then  (v.  10)  again  to  enemies  in  general. 

^^  Cf.  Psalm  22,  14,  from  which  our  line  may  be  a  quota- 
tion. The  original  Greek  version  omits  the  entire  verse,  and 
all  the  Greek  versions  omit  the  first  half. 

^^  Gloss,  "Altogether  they  combine  against  me" — to  sug- 
gest that  each  of  his  opponents  helps  the  other  in  further  humil- 
iating and  persecuting  him  remorselessly — one  by  turning  up 
his  nose,  another  by  showing  his  teeth,  a  third  by  gaping  at 
him  and  a  fourth  smiting  him. 

"  Cf.  Lam.  3,  12-13. 

^  So  read,  following  Ehrlich  and  others. 
^  «»The   "gall"   stands   for  the   "liver"   which,   with  the 
"reins,"  is  synonymous  with  the  seat  of  life. 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

Breach  upon  breach  ^°  He  opened  against  me; 
Running  against  me  like  a  giant.  ^^ 
^^         A  sackcloth  I  have  sewed  on  my  skin," 

And  I  have  rolled  my  strength  ^^  in  the  dust. 
My  face  burns  with  weeping, 
And  deep  darkness  is  on  my  eyelids.''* 
Although  there  is  no  violence  in  my  hands/^ 
And  my  prayer  is  pure. 
18-22         O  Earth,  do  not  cover  up  my  blood,  ^^ 
Fain  appeal         That  there  be  no  occasion  for  my  outcry! 

J  or  justice.  >-n      1  •    1  ^,  1  1         ^o 

20         On  high^^  my  thoughts  ^^  are  my  mtercessors; 
To  God  my  eye  makes  the  appeal; 
That  mortal  may  secure  justice  from  God, 


'°The  text  has  a  superfluous  "face"  before  the  second 
"breach." 

^1  Literally:   "Mighty  man." 

^A  fine  metaphor  to  suggest  that  Job  is  a  perpetual 
mourner;  his  mourning  garb  is  sewed  to  his  body,  so  that  it 
never  comes  off. 

^Literally:  "horn,"  used  to  describe  one's  beauty  and 
vigor. 

"^^  His  eyes  are  so  filled  with  tears  that  he  cannot  see. 

"  Cf.  Isaiah  53,  9. 

'^The  covering  up  of  the  blood  means  that  the  wrong 
done  is  concealed.  The  uncovered  blood  cries  for  vengeance, 
as  in  the  famous  passage,  Genesis  4,  10.  A  pious  commentator, 
intent  upon  giving  an  orthodox  turn  to  Job's  despair,  seized 
upon  this  opportunity  to  give  expression  to  his  own  faith  in 
God,  which  is  in  direct  contradiction  to  the  whole  tenor  of  Job's 
bitter  complaint  (v.  19),  "Even  now  my  witness  is  in  heaven" 
to  which  we  have  a  more  usual  word  for  "witness"  as  a  variant 
or  comment.  The  last  word  of  this  verse  "on  high"  belongs 
to  the  following  stanza.    See  above,  p.  116. 

^^  To  be  taken  over  from  the  close  of  the  inserted  verse. 

^^  So  correctly  on  the  basis  of  Psalm  139, 17,  the  translation 
of  the  Jewish  Publication  Society. 

256 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

As  between^^  a  man  and  his  fellow. ^° 

For  a  few  years  will  pass, 

And  I  shall  go  the  way  of  no  return,^^ 

My  spirit  is  broken  within  me;  ^^  17,  i 

The  grave  is  ready  ( ?)  ^3  for  me.  };J^^^  ^„ 

Surely,  mockers  (i*)  are  with  me;  of  sorrows. 

And  I  must  endure  their  provocation.^*  God  and  mZ, 
Be  Thou  my  pledge  which  is  already  with  Thee !  ^^  ^'^^• 
Who  else  can  be  surety  for  me  ? 

Since   Thou    hast    closed    their    mind  against  4 
reason,^^ 


^^  So  by  a  slight  change. 

^^  The  line  is  missing  in  the  earlier  Greek  versions;  and  the 
entire  stanza  in  the  original  Greek  version. 

^^  {.(?.,  there  is  no  hope  of  securing  justice  during  life.  One 
must  not  read  into  this  verse  any  thought  of  retribution  after 
death,  of  which  there  is  no  trace  either  in  the  original  or  in  the 
amplified  Book  of  Job. 

^  So  read  by  a  slight  change. 

^  Some  such  meaning  for  the  strange  verb  used  is  de- 
manded by  the  context.  The  text  has  the  plural  "graves" 
which  in  poetical  usage  has  the  force  of  the  "deep  grave,"  as  in 
Ps.  137,  I,  "rivers"  stands  for  "great  river,"  i.e.^  the  Euphrates. 

^  The  line  is  missing  in  the  Greek  version. 

^^Job  appeals  to  God  to  be  his  pledge — since  God  has 
already  taken  all  that  he  has  from  him. 

*®  Verse  5  seems  to  be  a  popular  saying: 

"Among  friends  one  divides  one's  fortune, 
While  one's  own  sons  languish," 

and  either  out  of  place,  or  introduced  here  by  some  pedantically 
inclined  commentator  to  explain  by  a  popular  saying  the  thought 
of  V.  4,  which  (as  well  as  5*)  Is  missing  in  the  original  Greek 
version.  If  God  were  to  favor  the  friends  of  Job  at  the  cost  of 
condemning  the  innocent  sufferer,  it  would  be  like  dividing  one's 
property  among  one's  neighbors,  and  leaving  one's  children 
unprovided  for. 

17  257 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

Thou  canst  not  let  them  be  victorious.  ^^ 
^         He  has  made  me  a  by-word  of  the  people; 

An  abhorrence  ^^  have   I  become  for  children.^ ^ 
My  eye  is  dimmed  through  vexation, 
And  my  form  reduced  to  a  shadow. 
8         The  upright  must  rejoice  ^°  at  this, 

And  the  innocent  be  aroused  against  the  im- 
pious. ^^ 
^^         But  now  all  of  you  ^^  come  back;^^ 

And  I  shall  not  find  a  wise  man  among  you. 

jj_JJ         My  days  have  passed  [forever  (.^)  ]  ^* 
Thf  grave  as         The  plaus  of  my  mind  are  broken. ^^ 

tM  only  hope, 

^^  So  by  a  different  vocalization  of  the  text.  The  verse 
is  missing  in  the  earlier  Greek  versions. 

^Topheth — the  place  in  the  valley  of  Hinnom  where 
children  were  offered  to  Moloch.  See  Hastings,  Dictionary  of 
the  Bible,  s.v.  Topheth  is,  therefore,  a  synonym  for  "horror" 
or  "abhorrence." 

^®  So  read  by  a  slight  change  of  the  text. 

^°  So  read  by  the  insertion  of  a  letter.  For  the  same  com- 
bination of  the  two  verbs,  "rejoice,"  and  "aroused,"  see  Job 
31,  29.    Job  is  speaking  in  bitter  irony. 

^^  Meaning  himself.  A  pious  commentator  offended  at 
this  bitter  exclamation  and  wishing  to  tone  down  the  irony, 
adds  (v.  9) : 

"The  righteous  clings  to  his  way, 
And  the  clean  of  hand  increases  in  strength," — 

perhaps  a  proverbial  saying. 

^^  So  read  by  the  insertion  of  a  letter. 

*^  The  repetition  of  the  invitation  6,  29,  but  in  a  spirit  of 
increased  bitterness.  The  text  has  a  superfluous  "come  now," 
which  makes  the  line  too  long. 

^^  Some  word  like  "forever"  is  to  be  expected  here  to  make 
up  the  three  beats.  Its  place  is  taken  by  the  comment  "my 
thoughts,"  for  which  see  the  following  note. 

^^A  commentator  in  order  to  explain  the  unusual  word 
f     (perhaps  corrupt)  adds  "My  thoughts."     Verse  12,  which  is 

258 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

If  I  could  make  ^^  Sheol  my  house;  13 

In  the  darkness  spread  my  couch; 

Could  call  the  pit,  "My  father,"  ^^ 

And  the  worm,  "My  mother  and  sister." 

Where,  indeed,  is  my  hope?  '5 

And  who  can  track  out  my  longing  ?^^ 

Will  they  ^^  go  down  to  Sheol  with  me?^ 

Shall  we  lie  down  ^  in  the  dust  together? 

Then  Bildad  in  answer  said :  ^^'  ^ 

How  long  will  you  indulge  in  pricks  ?3  The  Doom  of 

Be  sensible  and  then  we  will  speak.  *^^  Wicked. 
Why  should  we  be  counted  as  beasts, 
Be  looked  upon  [as  cattle]*  in  thy  eyes  ?^ 


missing  in  the  original  Greek  version,  interrupts  the  context 
and  can  best  be  explained  as  a  combination  of  two  glosses  to 
18,  6.    See  below  note  8. 

^^  So  by  a  slight  change  m  the  text — demanded  by  the 
parallelism. 

^^The  text  has  a  superfluous  "thou,"  which  makes  the 
line  too  long. 

^  The  repetition  of  "My  hope"  in  the  Hebrew  text  is  prob- 
ably an  error.    The  parallelism  demands  a  word  like  "longing." 

^  i.e.^  "my  hope  and  my  longing,  will  they  be  entombed 
with  me.'*" 

^  So  the  Greek  text. 

^  So  the  sense  of  the  Greek  text.  Siegfried  is  again  too 
radical,  and  quite  unnecessarily  so,  in  regarding  the  six  closing 
verses  of  the  chapter  (11-16)  as  interpolations.  A  correct 
principle,  wrongfully  applied,  is  equivalent  to  a  wrong  principle. 

^  A  commentator  adds:    "as  words,"  i.e.,  as  arguments. 

*The  parallelism,  as  well  as  the  completion  of  the  line  to 
three  beats,  demands  the  addition  of  this  word. 

^  So  according  to  the  Greek  text.  At  the  beginning  of  v.  4 
there  is  an  obscure  apostrophe  to  Job  "O  raging  and  violent 
one,"  which  is  either  to  be  regarded  as  misplaced  or  we  must 
assume  that  a  line  has  dropped  out. 

2S9 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

Shall  for  thy  sake  the  earth  be  forsaken  ? 

And  [its]  Guardian^  be  removed  from  His  place? 
S         Surely,  the  light  of  the  wicked  is  put  out;^ 

And  the  spark  of  his  fire  shall  not  shine. 

Light  becomes  darkness  in  his  tent, 

And  his  lamp  is  put  out  for  him.^ 

His  once  mighty  steps  shall  be  straitened; 

His  own  counsel  shall  bring  about  his  fall. 

Headlong  ^  he  is  cast  into  a  net; 

And  he  walks  upon  a  trap. 

[A  gin  shall  catch  his  heel, 

And  a  snare  {t)  hold  him  fast. 
'o         A  noose  for  him  is  hid  in  the  ground, 

And  a  trap  for  him  on  the  highway.] ^'^ 

Terrors  startle  him  on  all  sides. 

And  clog  his  steps. ^^ 

^  Literally,  "  rock,"  but  here  used  as  elsewhere  in  the  Old 
Testament  as  a  designation  of  God. 

"^  Quoted  from  Prov.  24,  20? 

^To  this  verse,  17,  12  appears  to  be  a  gloss  as  above 
suggested : 

(a)  "Night  they  change  to  day" 

to  indicate  that  the  wicked  also  ply  their  trade  at  night.  To 
this  interpretation  some  one  who  erroneously  took  the  two  words 
6r  hoshekh  together  as  "light  of  darkness"  apparently  objected 
and  added  by  way  of  explanation  dr  ("light")  is  preferable  to 
hoshekh  ("darkness").  The  comment  was  suggested  by  a  cer- 
tain ambiguity  in  the  use  of  the  Hebrew  word  6r  (as  well  as  the 
Aramaic  form  uryd)  for  both  "light"  and  "darkness,"  for  which 
see  Jastrow  Talmudic  Dictionary  sub  dr. 

9 Literally,  "by  his  feet." 

*°  Verses  9-10  are  missing  in  the  earlier  Greek  versions; 
they  are  probably  later  amplifications  of  v.  8. 

^^  This  is  the  sense  of  a  phrase  that  appears  to  be  an  idio- 
matic expression,  the  exact  construction  of  which  escapes  us. 

260 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

His  offspring  shall  endure  hunger,  « 

And  calamity  is  in  store  for  his  mate.^^ 

Deadly  disease^^  shall  consume  his  limbs  ;^^  ^^^ 

His  hope  ^^  shall  be  plucked  out  of  his  tent.  h* 

Terror  ^^  shall  dwell  in  his  tent;^^  is 

And  brimstone  be  scattered  on  his  habitation. ^^ 

Below  Its  roots  shall  dry  up; 

And  above  its  branch  shall  wither. 

His  remembrance  shall  perish  from  the  earth; 

And  nowhere  will  there  be  a  memorial  of  him. 

They  shall  drive  him  from  light  into  darkness; 

And  out  of  the  earth  they  shall  chase  him. 

Without  son  or  grandson  among  his  people, 

And  without  any  survivor  in  his  place  of  sojourn. 

Those  from  the  West  shall  stand  aghast,  ^^  20 

"  Literally,  his  "rib,"  i.e.,  his  wife  in  view  of  Genesis  2,  21, 
where  the  wife  of  the  first  man  is  formed  of  his  rib.  So  the  inter- 
pretation in  the  Targum  to  Job,  embodying  no  doubt  a  tradi- 
tional explanation. 

^'Literally,  "first-born  of  death" — a  picturesque  phrase 
for  a  fatal  disease,  perhaps  of  a  specific  character.  The  Greek 
text  has  simply  "death." 

^*The  phrase  "consuming  his  limbs"  (so  read)  is  repeated 
and  explained  as  "his  skin."  At  the  close  of  v.  14  there  is  an 
obscure  gloss,  usually  rendered  "and  thou  bringest  him  to  the 
King."  The  word  "terrors"  that  follows  is  to  be  taken  to  the 
following  verse. 

^*  Meaning  his  children,  as  the  hope  of  the  future.  He  and 
his  children  will  perish. 

"  This  word  to  be  taken  over  from  the  preceding  verse  as 
the  subject  of  "dwell." 

^'  A  comment  adds,  "that  is  not  his,"  to  further  emphasize 
the  punishment,  but  which  makes  the  line  too  long. 

^*A  picture  of  desolation  with  an  allusion  to  the  fate  of 
Sodom  and  Gomorrah  (Gen.  19,  24). 

^*  There  is  an  unintelligible  gloss  "at  his  day"  at  the  begin- 
ning of  this  verse — either  a  misplaced  comment,  or  a  textual 

261 


misery. 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

And   fright  shall  seize  hold  of  those  from   the 

East.2o 
Such  indeed  is  the  fate  ^i  of  the  wicked; 
Such  the  destiny  22  of  him  that  knows  not  God. 

^%  I         Then  Job  in  answer  said : 
Q^~^f^         How  long  will  you  vex  my  soul, 
responsible         And  attempt  to  crush  me  with  words  ? 
orjos         rp^^  23  times  have  you  tried  to  refute  me; 

And  you  are   not   ashamed   to   return   to   the 
attack.24 

Is  it  indeed  true  that  I  have  erred, 
And  that  my  error  remains  with  me  P^ 
Or  have  you  indeed  prevailed  over  me, 
And  have  proved  my  downfall  ^^  to  me  ? 
Know  that  it  is  God  who  has  overthrown  me, 
And  His  net  has  caught  me. 
If  I  cry  "violence, "  I  am  not  answered ;2^ 
I  cry  for  help,  but  there  is  no  justice. 

error  for  "on  his  right"  as  a  comment  to  "those  from  the 
West"  or  "those  from  behind."  The  West  is  that  which  is 
behind;  the  East,  what  is  in  front. 

20  So  Dillman's  explanation  in  his  commentary  on  Job. 

21  Litei-ally  "dwellings,"  but  here  used,   as  Ehrlich  has 
pointed  out,  to  designate  the  fate  that  overwhelms  the  dwellings. 

22 Literally  "place,"  meaning  again  the  fate  in  store  for 
the  place  in  which  the  wicked  dwell. 

^Ten  is  used  as  a  large  round  number,  by  the  side  of 
seven — in  earlier  times. 

2'*  So  Ehrlich's  interpretation  by  a  different  vocalization 
of  the  verb. 

2^  i.e.,  am  I  still  steeped  in  error  and  sin  by  my  declining 
to  admit  my  guilt.? 

2^  Literally  "my  disgrace." 

27  Cf.  Jer.  20  :  8 — God  does  not  answer  my  charge,  though 
I  am  treated  with  violence. 

262 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

He  has  fenced  up  my  way  against  passing;^ 

He  has  set  darkness  on  my  paths. 

My  glory,  He  has  stripped  off  me, 

And  has  taken  the  crown  from  my  head. 

He  has  shattered  me  so  that  I  am  undone;  lo 

And  He  has  plucked  up  my  hope  like  a  tree. 

He  has  kindled  His  wrath  against  me, 

And  has  accounted  me  among  His  adversaries. 

His  troops  29  come  in  a  body  towards  me,  13-20     , 

And  block  the  way  against  me.^°  fHendslnd 

He  has  removed  my  brothers  from  me,  ^^"* 

And  my  acquaintances  have  become  estranged 
from  me. 

My  relatives  and  intimates  have  fallen  away, 

[And]  the  inmates  of  my  house  have  forgotten 
me. 

My  maids  count  me  for  a  stranger;  is 

I  have  become  an  alien  in  their  eyes. 

I  call  to  my  servant,  but  he  does  not  answer ; 

Though  with  my  mouth  I  implore  him. 

My  wife  stands  in  horror  of  me. 

And  I  have  become  loathsome  to  my  off- 
spring.^^ 

Urchins  ^^  show  their  contempt  for  me; 


^^  Lam.  3,  7-9  is  closely  parallel  to  Job  19,  7-8. 

29  Meaning  the  false  friends. 

^^  A  commentator  adds  by  way  of  explanation  of  the  some- 
what obscure  phrase,  "they  encamp  around  my  tent." 

^^  Literally,  "the  sons  of  my  womb"  for  "the  sons  of  the 
womb  of  my  wife."  Note  the  gradual  rise  to  the  climax  in 
verses  12-17  W  brothers  and  acquaintances,  i.e.,  his  friends; 
(b)  relatives  and  the  inmates  of  his  house,  i.e.,  those  who  live 
with  him;  (c)  maids  and  servants;  (d)  wife  and  children. 

^2  i.e.,  ragamuffins. 

263 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

When  I  appear  they  speak  against  me. 
Those  closest  to  me  abhor  me, 
And  those  whom  I  loved  have  turned  against 
me.^' 
20         My  bone  cleaves  to  my  flesh  ^^ 

And  I  am  left  with  the  skin  of  my  teeth.'^ 
21-29         Pity  me,  pity  me,  O  ^^  my  friends; 
opfed^for         For  the  hand  of  God  has  touched  me. 
^fmlun         ^^y  ^^  y^^  pursue  me  like  a  stag," 

by  God.         Since  you  cannot  be  satiated  with  my  flesh  ?  '* 
23'         Oh  that  my  words  could  be  inscribed,^' 
*4'*         Graven  for  all  times  in  the  rock. 


^  A  general  summary. 

'^A  gloss  adds  "to  my  skin."  The  same  phrase  occurs, 
Psalm  102,  6. 

'^A  picturesque  phrase  to  indicate  that  only  his  gums 
remain. 

**The  text  has  an  overhanging  "you,"  which  makes  the 
line  too  long. 

*^  So  read  by  a  slight  change  of  the  text. 

^  I  am  so  emaciated  that  I  would  not  furnish  a  satisfac- 
tory meal. 

''The  line  has  a  superfluous  "somewhere."  Two  glosses 
have  also  been  inserted: 

(a)  "Oh  that  they  might  be  inscribed  in  a  book"  to  23a  and 

(b)  "With  an  iron  stylus  and  lead"  (missing  in  the  original  Greek  ver- 
sion) to  24b. 

The  second  gloss  is  proper,  but  not  the  first,  for  Job  is  not  think- 
ing of  a  writing  on  papyrus  or  skin  which  is  perishable;  he  wants 
his  complaints  of  his  sufferings  and  his  charges  against  God  to 
be  hewn  permanently  into  an  imperishable  substance,  following 
the  example  of  Assyrian  and  Persian  rulers,  so  that  in  distant 
days  some  one  will  read  them  and  rise  up  as  his  defender.  The 
first  gloss  has  been  added  with  intent  in  order  to  give  a  different 
turn  to  Job*s  thought. 

264 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

Then  I  would  know  that  my  defender^^  will  arise,*^  ^s 
Even  though  he  arise  in  the  distant  future. '^^ 
Only  under  my  skin  is  this  indited,^^  26 

And  within  my  flesh  do  I  see  these  ^*  [words]. 


40  Or  "vindicator."  The  Hebrew  term  goel  means  origin- 
ally the  nearest  of  kin  who,  according  to  ancient  Semitic  custom, 
was  called  upon  to  avenge  a  wrong  done  to  his  kinsman.  Here 
the  term  is  used  In  the  general  sense  of  "defender,"  which  it 
naturally  acquired.  It  cannot  possibly  refer  to  God,  as  the 
Jewish  translator  of  the  O.T.  into  Arabic,  Saadia,  recognized 
as  far  back  as  the  ninth  century  of  our  era.  The  RV  properly 
adds  in  a  marginal  note  that  the  sense  is  "vindicator"  and  not 
"redeemer"  in  the  religious  sense.  For  all  that,  the  new  trans- 
lation of  the  Jewish  Publication  Society  retains  "  Redeemer"  with 
a  capital  letter.  See  further  on  the  famous  verse  above,  p.  1 24  seq. 

^^  Literally,  "is  alive,"  but  clearly  in  the  sense  that  he  will 
be  alive  in  the  future. 

*2  Literally,  "as  the  last,"  to  indicate  the  remote  future. 
Job's  point  is  that  if  his  complaints  and  charges  could  only  be 
given  a  permanent  form,  he  would  feel  confident  that  some  day 
he  will  be  justified  by  a  defender  who  will  "live,"  i.e.^  be  born 
at  some  time,  though  perhaps  not  till  the  very  remote  future. 

^The  record  of  his  case  instead  of  being  hewn  into  the 
rock  is  only  written  In  his  own  person.  There  can  be  little 
doubt  that  this  verse  has  been  interfered  with  by  pious  exegetes 
who  tried  to  twist  It  into  a  suggestion  of  a  future  life,  of  which, 
however,  Job  is  not  thinking.  The  passage  has  been  intention- 
ally distorted  in  the  interest  of  Jewish  orthodoxy. 

^  Read  by  a  slight  change  "these"  instead  of  "God."  By 
"these"  Job  means  the  record  which  he  would  like  to  see  hewn 
into  the  rock.  He  complains  that  Instead,  he  alone  sees  the 
record  written  in  his  person  and  in  his  flesh.  Verse  27  Is  an 
explanatory  amplification  to  v.  26, 

"I  alone  can  see  it  for  myself; 
Mine  eyes  see  it,  but  not  another^s." 

At  the  end  of  v.  27  Is  a  gloss,  "My  reins  are  consumed  within 
me"  added  as  an  explanation  to  v.  26*',  before  the  verse  was 
manipulated  by  pious  commentators. 

265 


'THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

28         When,therefore,yousa7,howweshallpursuehim!^5 
^^         Tremble  before  the  sword  !^^ 

20, 1         Then  Zophar,  the  NaamatHite,  in  answer  said : 
A  aiTihe         Because  of  this  ^^  my  thoughts  urge  me  on; 
doom  of  the         Because  of  the  agitation  within  me, 

wic  e  .         That  I  must  listen  to  rebuke  in  return  for  my 
argument,^^ 
And  to  idle  words  ^^  in  answer  to  my  logic. ^° 
Surely  thou  knowest  this  of  old; 
That  since  man  was  placed  upon  earth, 


*^  Harking  back  to  v.  22.  A  gloss,  *'the  root  of  the  thing 
is  found  in  me"  (not  found  in  the  original  Greek  text)  is  an 
attempted  explanation  by  some  commentator  to  26*  "under  my 
skin  is  this  indited,"  likewise  before  the  verse  was  intentionally 
distorted. 

*^  The  balance  of  this  verse  (29)  is  unintelligible.  The  last 
words  can  be  translated,  "That  ye  may  know  that  there  is  a 
judge,"  which  I  am  inclined  to  take  as  an  explanatory  gloss 
to  25%  "I  know  that  my  defender  lives"  (z.<f.,  "will  arise"), 
based  on  the  traditional  explanation  that  the  goel  is  God  who 
will  arise  as  "judge."  The  remaining  words  "for  wrath  are 
the  iniquities  of  the  sword "  give  no  sense  whatsoever.  The 
word  "bringeth"  in  AV  and  RV  is  not  in  the  text,  which  the 
translators  of  the  Jewish  Publication  Society  fail  to  indicate. 
It  may  be  that  the  phrase  "iniquities  of  the  sword"  constitutes 
an  explanation  of  "sword"  and  that  the  words  "for  wrath" 
or  "because  of  wrath"  are  an  independent  gloss  to  the  verb 
**  tremble,"  but  this  is  a  pure  guess.  It  is  better  to  confess  the 
hopelessness  of  making  anything  out  of  these  words,  beyond  the 
conjecture  that  as  glosses  they  do  not  belong  to  the  original  text. 

'*^  i.e.,  because  of  the  sentiments  expressed  by  Job  at  the 
close  of  the  previous  chapter. 

^  So  the  sense  required  by  the  parallelism  and  which  can 
be  obtained  by  a  textual  change  in  the  second  word  of  the  verse. 

*^  Literally,  "wind"  (as  15,  2)  or  as  we  would  say,  collo- 
quially "gas." 

^°  More  literally,  "my  intelligence." 

266 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

The  joy  of  the  wicked  is  short;  5 

And  the  joy  of  the  impious  for  a  moment. 
Though  his  ambition  mount  up  to  heaven, 
And  his  head  reach  unto  the  cloud, 
By   the   measure   of   his    greatness  ^^    he    shall 

perish  forever; 
Those  who  saw  him  will  say  "Where  is  he?" 
Like  a  dream,  he  shall  fly  away,  and  none  shall  ^ 

find  him; 
Chased  away  as  a  vision  of  the  night. 
fThe  eye  which  saw  him  shall  see  him  no  more ; 
His  place  ^^  shall  no  longer  behold  him]/^ 
His  sons  must  recompense  ^^  the  poor;  lo 

And  his  own  hands  must  hand  over  his  offspring.^^ 
[His  bones  may  be  full  of  marrow. 
But  with  him  they  ^^  shall  lie  down  in  the  dust. 
Though  wickedness  be  sweet  in  his  mouth. 
Retaining  it  under  his  tongue  :^^ 
Sparing,  and  unwilling  to  let  it  go,  ^^ 


^^  So  Ehrlich  by  a  slight  change  of  the  text,  instead  of  an 
absurd  reading  "like  his  dung." 

^2  i.e.,  his  city,  or  the  place  where  he  dwells. 

^^  This  9th  verse,  reminiscent  of  7,  8-10,  is  omitted  by  the 
Greek  text.    It  may  be  a  later  amplification. 

^More  literally:  "placate."  The  verb  used  occurs  in 
Leviticus  26,  34,  in  the  sense  of  satisfying  or  requiting  the  poor 
who  have  been  robbed  by  the  wicked,  but  to  whom,  by  way  of 
compensation,  the  children  of  the  wicked  are  handed  over  as 
slaves. 

^^  So  the  sense  of  this  word  as  in  Job  18,  12.  See  above  p. 
261. 

^^  i.e.,  his  bones. 

"  Like  a  tidbit. 

^The  text  appears  to  have  a  superfluous  word,  which 
makes  the  line  too  long. 

267 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

And  keeping  it  within  his  mouth  ;]*^' 

His  food  *o  shall  be  turned  in  his  bowels, 

[As]  gall  of  asps  within  him. 
IS         The  wealth  that  he  has  swallowed  he  must  vomit ; 

Out  of  his  belly  God  shall  drive  it.«^ 
n         He  shall  not  enjoy  the  flow  '^  of  his  streams ; 

The  brooks  of  honey  and  cream. 

The  gain  that  he  cannot  swallow,  he  must  restore, 

His  profit  as  the  sand,^' — he  shall  not  enjoy. 

Because  he  has  torn  down  the  huts  "  of  the  poor. 

He  shall  not  rebuild  the  house  that  he  has  robbed . 
20         Because  he  knew  no  ease  within  him. 

And  in  his  avarice  suffered  naught  to  escape; 

Therefore  he  shall  not  enjoy  his  wealth. ^^ 


**  Verses  11-13  are  missing  in  the  original  Greek  text  and 
are  not  required  for  the  context.  They  may  well  be  subsequent 
additions. 

•**  i.e.,  his  substance  as  the  result  of  his  designs. 

•*  Verse  16,  which  appears  to  be  a  popular  saying,  is  added 
because  of  the  reference  to  "gall  of  asps"  in  v.  14: 

"He  who  tucks  the  poison  of  asps, 
The  tongue  of  the  viper  shall  kill  him." 

The  first  part  of  the  verse  is  missing  In  the  original  Greek  verse. 

"  Cf .  the  meaning  of  the  parallel  stem  in  Assyrian  paldgu 
"spread,  flow,'*  etc.,  from  which  palgu  "canal"  is  derived. 

®*  So  read  with  Ehrlich,  by  a  slight  change  in  the  text. 

^  So  the  interpretation  of  Ehrlich  {Randglossen  6,  p.  262), 
who  takes  the  third  word  of  the  verse  as  a  substantive. 

*^At  the  beginning  of  v.  21  there  Is  comment  reading 
"There  was  no  survivor  to  his  greed."  The  original  Greek  text 
lacks  20^  and  21  •  and  reads  therefore: 

"Because  he  knew  no  ease  within  him. 
He  shall  not  enjoy  his  wealth." 

268 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

In  his  overflowing  abundance,   he  shall  be    in 
straits.^® 

He  shall  cast  upon  him  His  fierce  wrath,  ^^ 

And  shall  cause  His  terror  ^^  to  rain  upon  him. 

He  shall  be  transfixed  ®^  by  an  iron  weapon; 

A  brazen  bow  shall  pierce  him. 

One  unsheaths  [the  sword,]  and  it  comes  out  of  ^5 
his  back,^® 

And  the  glittering  point  passes  out  of  his  gall. 

Every  concealed  terror  ^^  is  laid  up  for  his  pro- 
tected ones; 

It  shall  go  ill  with  the  survivors  in  his  tent. 

The  heavens  shall  reveal  his  iniquity,  *7 

And  the  earth  shall  rise  up  against  him.^^ 


^*A  superfluous  line  forming  a  comment  reads:  "Every 
kind  of  misery  shall  come  upon  him.  " 

*^The  words  at  the  beginning  of  this  23d  verse  "to  be  for 
filling  his  belly"  are  another  gloss,  as  is  shown  by  their  omission 
in  the  original  Greek  text;  they  are  added  to  explain  22%  the 
second  word  of  which  is  a  rare  and  difficult  term  for 
"abundance." 

^  So  by  a  slight  change  in  the  text,  to  secure  a  meaning 
demanded  by  the  parallelism. 

®^  The  verb  is  to  be  vocalized  as  passive  and  to  be  explained 
according  to  Ehrlich,  Randglossen  6,  p.  263. 

^®  So  the  Greek  text.  The  sword  is  unsheathed  to  be  driven 
through  him. 

^^  Literally,  "darkness,"  explained  by  a  gloss  (placed  at 
the  close  of  the  preceding  verse),  "terror  upon  him."  A  second 
gloss  inserted  in  v.  26,  reads : 

"A  fire  not  blown  [by  man]  shall  consume  him," 

which  is  clearly  a  gloss  to  v.  27"*  to  explain  rather  pedantically 
the  phrase  "The  heavens  will  reveal  his  iniquity."  The  first 
part  of  V.  26  is  missing  in  the  original  Greek  version. 

^2  Verse  28,  which  weakens  the  forcible  climax  of  the  pre- 
ceding verse  must  again  be  looked  upon  as  a  comment. 

269 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

29  Such  is  the  portion  of  the  wicked  man  from  God; 

And  the  disposition  of  his  heritage  ^^  from  God. 

^^'^J         Thereupon  Job  in  answer  said : 
Thg  true         Listen  now  to  my  speech; 

fohaThTppens         ^^^  ^^7  1^  afford  you  satisfaction.  ^^ 

to  the  wicked.         Suffer  me  to  speak ; 

And  after  that  you  may  mock.^^ 
Should  I  allow  my  complaint  to  cease  .^^^ 
And  why  should  I  not  be  impatient  .f* 
s         Mark  me  and  be  dumbfounded; 

And  lay  [your]  hand  upon  [your]  mouth.  ^^ 
When  I  think  of  it,  I  am  dismayed, 
And  horror  takes  hold  of  me.^^ 
Why  do  the  wicked  flourish, 
Grow  old  and  even  wax  mighty? 
Their  seed  is  secure  before  them;^' 
Their  off^spring  is  in  their  presence. 
Their  homes  are  safe  from  terror; 

"The  produce  of  his  estate  (lit.:  ^^ house")  will  flow  away, 
.    .     .     .    on  the  day  of  his  wrath." 

The  text  as  it  stands  cannot  be  correct,  corrupted  probably  by 
later  editors  who  no  longer  understood  that  the  verse  was  a 
comment. 

"  This  the  meaning  of  the  word,  as  in  Arabic. 

^^  Ironically  meant  in  the  sense  of,  "I  hope  that  you  will 
derive  comfort  from  what  I  shall  have  to  say." 

^^  Read  the  plural. 

"^^  So  read  by  a  change  in  the  text,  instead  of  the  meaning- 
less "for  man." 

^^  Keep  silent — you  will  have  no  answer  to  make. 

'^s  Literally:   "my  flesh." 

^^i./f.,  their  children  flourish — a  reply  to  15,  34  (Eliphaz), 
18,  19  (Bildad)  and  20,  10  (Zophar).  The  text  has  a  superfluous 
"with  them,"  not  found  in  the  original  Greek  text  and  which 
makes  the  line  too  long. 

270 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

The  scourge  of  God  is  not  upoii  them. 
His  bull  genders  without  fail;^°  lo 

His  cow  calves  and  does  not  miscarry. 
They  bring  forth  their  little  ones  like  a  flock, 
And  their  children  skip  about.^^ 
They  dance  to  the  timbrel  and  zither, 
And  make  merry  to  the  sound  of  the  pipe. 
They  round  out  their  days  in  happiness, 
And  peacefully  ^^  sink  down  into  Sheol.^^ 
To  God  they  say,  "Away  from  us; 
We  desire  not  the  knowledge  of  Thy  ways."^^ 
["What  is  Shaddai  that  we  should  serve  Him.'*        ^5 
And  what  profit,  that  we  should  secure  His  in- 
tercession .f* "]  ^ 
How  often  is  the  lamp  of  the  wicked  put  out,^^       '7 


*^The  seed  enters  the  cow. 

®i  Like  lambkins. 

^  This  is  the  sense  demanded  by  the  context.  The  reading 
of  the  text,  "in  a  moment,"  appears  to  be  an  intentional  change 
to  suggest  sudden  death  as  a  punishment.  Job,  however,  is 
arguing  just  the  other  way. 

^^The  common  belief  was  that  if  one  goes  down  to  the 
nether  world  in  a  happy  frame  of  mind,  one  will  c6ntinue  in 
that  frame.  Therefore,  Jacob  (Gen.  37  :  35)  laments  that  he  is 
going  to  Sheol  in  sorrow,  which  implies  that  he  will  be  unhappy 
in  the  nether  world. 

^The  thought  is  taken  up  again  by  Eliphaz,  22,  17. 

^  This  verse  is  not  in  the  earlier  Greek  versions  and  may  be 
a  variant  to  v.  14  or  an  amplifying  comment.  Some  pious  reader, 
shocked  at  Job's  bitter  irony,  adds  (v.  16): 

"Ah,  there  is, no  happiness  in  their  hand; 
The  course  of  the  wicked  be  far  from  me." 

The  second  line  is  also  inserted  in  a  speech  of  Eliphaz  (22,  18^). 
8«  Answer  to  Bildad  (18,  5),  "The  light  of  the  wicked    is 
put  out." 

271 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

.mity  come  upon  them?^^ 
y  become  as  stubble  befor 
^MswUl         ^^^  ^s  ^h^ff  scattered  by  the  storm  ?«» 


'^w         Does  calamity  come  upon  them  ?^^ 

is  not         That  they  become  as  stubble  before  the  wind, 


His  punishment  is  stored  up  for  his  sons^^ — 

Let  Him  requite  him  that  he  may  know  it.^*^ 

20         Let  his  eyes  see  his  destruction; 

Let  him  drink  of  the  wrath  of  Shaddai. 

^'  For  what  is  his   concern  ^^  in  his   house   after 

him?92 

When  the  number  of  his  months  is  completed?^' 
*3         This  one  dies  in  his  full  strength; 
Wholly  at  ease  and  in  peace.  ^* 
His  legs  (?)  95  full  of  fat, 

^'A  commentator  adds:  i.e.,  "Does  He  apportion  suffer- 
ings in  His  anger?" 

88Cf.Ps.   1,4. 

^  A  commentator  adds  "God"  (omitted  in  the  Greek  text) 
as  subject  to  "store  up,"  but  which  makes  the  line  too  long. 

9°  Job  says:  if  you  argue  that  God  reserves  punishment 
and  will  visit  it,  according  to  the  orthodox  belief,  on  a  wicked 
man's  sons  what  justice  is  there  in  this?  The  one  who  does 
wrong  should  be  punished,  so  that  he  may  become  conscious  of 
his  guilt  and  directly  suffer  for  it. 

*^  A  totally  wrong  impression  is  conveyed  by  the  transla- 
tion "pleasure"  in  the  AV  and  RV. 

^  i.e.,  after  he  dies. 

•^  A  pious  reader  or  commentator,  again  shocked  at  Job's 
audacity  in  setting  forth  what  God  ought  to  do,  adds  the  reflec- 
tion (v.  22) 

"  Shall  one  presume  to  teach  God, 
Him  who  judges  on  high?" 

^^  The  verse  is  missing  in  the  original  Greek  version. 

^^So  the  rendering  in  the  Greek  text.  The  word  in  the 
Hebrew  text,  designating  some  part  of  the  body,  occurs  only 
in  this  passage.  The  exact  meaning,  therefore,  is  doubtful,  but 
it  is  surely  not  "pails"  as  the  ordinary  translations  have  it. 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

And  the  marrow  of  his  bones  moistened. 

And  that  one  dies  in  despair,  25 

Without  having  tasted  happiness. 

They  lie  down  aHke  ^^  in  the  dust, 

And  the  worm  covers  them. 

Ah,  I  know  your  thoughts,  27-34 .  ^  ^ 

All  1  •  •  Of  ^"^  Wicked 

And  the  arguments  that  you  twist  agamst  me.^^  is  spared 

When  ye  say  "Whereis  the  house  of  the  noble  ?"{;7,^^;^ 

And  where  the  habitation  ^^  of  the  wicked  ? "  ^®       to  the  end. 

Ask  those  who  note  the  course  of  events,^ 

And  you  will  admit  with  them:^ 

That  up  to  [his]  fatal  day,'  the  wicked  is  spared  ;*  3° 

To  the  day  that  he  is  carried  to  the  grave.'' 

And  whoever  tells  such  a  one  ^  his  way  "i 

And  who  repays  him  for  what  he  has  done  .^ 


®®  The  fate  of  all,  the  wicked  and  the  good,  the  happy  and 
the  miserable,  is  the  same.  It  is  the  sentiment  which  runs 
throughout  the  Book  of  Koheleth.  See  Jastrow,  A  GentU  CyniCy 
page  129  seq. 

®^  The  following  verse  indicates  what  the  argument  is. 

^A  gloss  adds  "tent"  as  the  explanation  of  the  plural 
"habitations."  The  original  Greek  version  omits  no  less  than 
six  verses  (28-33),  ^•^•>  the  balance  of  the  chapter  except  the 
last  verse  (34). 

^  The  friends  argue  as  follows :  Note  the  difference  between 
the  fate  of  the  good  and  the  bad.  The  good  man's  house  sur- 
vives, while  that  of  the  wicked  perishes.  Job  vehemently  denies 
this,  and  declares  that  the  facts  belie  the  assumption  that  there 
is  a  reward  for  virtuous  deeds. 

^  So  Ehrlich's  happy  interpretation  {Randglossen  6,  p.  269) 
of  the  phrase,  "those  who  pass  by  the  way." 

2  Literally,  "Their  tokens  ye  will  not  fail  to  recognize." 

'  i.e.,  to  his  last  hour. 

^  So  by  a  slight  change  of  the  text. 

^  So  by  a  slight  change. 

*  i.e.^  to  the  wicked  man. 

18  273 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

When  he  is  carried  to  the  grave, 

And  rests  tranquilly  ^  on  his  bier? 

The  clods  of  the  valley^  seem  sweet  to  him, 

As  the  whole  population  draws  after  him.^ 

How  then  can  you  comfort  me  with  vanity. 

Since  your  arguments  are  a  tissue  of  falsehood  ?^° 


^  So  by  a  slight  change  required  by  the  context. 

^  i.e.^  the  earth  that  is  heaped  over  his  coffin. 

^He  has  a  big  funeral  with  the  whole  town  following  in 
procession  behind  the  coffin.  A  glossator  adds,  "And  before 
him  without  number,"  i.e.^  a  large  concourse  also  precedes 
the  coffin. 

^^This  the  general  force  of  the  obscure,  because  apparently 
idiomatic,  phrase  with  which  the  chapter  closes. 


Ill 

A  THIRD  SERIES  OF  SPEECHES 
(Chapters  22-27) 

A 

The  Third  Speech  of  Eliphaz  and  Job's  Reply 
Thereupon,  Eliphaz  in  answer  said :  22>  i 

Does  a  man  help  God,  ^rp. 

When  he  helps  [peoplej  out  of  consideration  r^^     isked  because 
Is   it   any   advantage   to   Shaddai,   if  thou   art^j^^^^j^^^j^ 

righteous  ? 
Has  He  any  profit  if  thou  perfectest  thy  ways  ? 
Does  He  punish  thee  because  of  thy  reverence, ^^ 
When  He  brings  thee  to  judgment? 
Surely  thy  wickedness  must  be  great,  ^ 

And  there  can  be  no  end  to  thy  iniquities. 
For  thou  must  have  taken  pledges  of  thy  brother 

wrongfully. 
And  stripped  the  garments  of  the  naked." 
[Or]  thou  didst  not  give  water  to  the  weary,  7 

And  didst  withhold  bread  from  the  hungry.^^ 


^^  So  Ehrlich's  explanation. 

^^  Ironically  meant.     Surely  God   does   not  punish   thee  -^ 
because  thou  fearest  Him,  but  because  of  the  reverse. 

^^  i.e.,  of  the  poor  who  were  thus  forced  to  go  naked.  This 
reference  is  to  the  law  in  the  Code  of  the  Covenant,  Exodus  22, 
25-26  and  in  the  Deuteronomic  Code  24,  12-13. 

^^  Verse  8  interrupts  the  context  and  Is  besides  obscure. 
"The  man  of  might — to  him  is  the  earth, 
And  the  exalted  dwells  therein." 

The  verse  is  clearly  out  of  place.   It  has  drifted  away  from  Job's 

i7S 


12 

I2-20 

Eliphaz 
warns  Job 
against  con- 
tinuing his 
evil  ways 


IS 
i6 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

[Or]  thou  dost  send  widows  away  empty, 
And  thy  arm  ^^  didst  crush  the  orphans. 
Therefore,  snares  are  round  about  thee, 
And  sudden  terror  startles  thee.^® 

Since  God  is  on  high  ^^ 

And  thou  seest  ^^  how  high  the  stars  are, 

Thou  sayest :    "  What  does  God  know  ?^* 

Can  He  judge  behind  the  dark  cloud? 

Since  the  clouds  are  a  covering  to  Him,  so  that  He 

cannot  see, 
And  the  heavenly  sphere  is  revolving. "  ^^ 
Wilt  thou  continue  in  the  path  of  old, 
Which  the  wicked  have  trodden? 
[Who  were  snatched  away  before  their  time; 
Whose  foundation  was  poured  out  as  a  stream  ?]^^ 


speech  in  chapter  2i  where  it  propedy  belongs.  It  impresses 
one  as  a  popular  saying,  perhaps  added  as  a  gloss  to  21,  31  by 
some  commentator. 

^^So  read  instead  of  "arms." 

^^  Verse  ii  consists  of  two  glosses  (a)  "Or  [because  of] 
darkness  thou  canst  not  see" — a  variant  reading  or  explanation 
to  V.  io*>.  (b)  "A  mass  (.?)  of  waters  covers  thee,"  a  variant  or 
explanation  to  v.  io». 

^^Text  adds  "heaven,"  which  makes  the  line  too  long. 

^*So  read  by  a  slight  change  and  omit  the  word  "head" 
before  "stars"  which  gives  no  sense. 

^®  i.e.,  of  what  is  occurring  on  earth.  Verses  13-16  are 
missing  in  the  original  Greek  version. 

2°  i.e.,  constantly  moving.  So  Ehrlich's  explanation  which 
I  adopt,  though  with  some  hesitation. 

2^  This  i6th  verse  is  among  those  missing  in  the  original 
Greek  version.  It  strikes  one  as  a  later  amplification.  At  this 
point  there  is  a  strange  confusion  in  the  text.  Verses  17-18  are 
clearly  snatches  of  a  paraphrase  or  repetition  of  Job's  utterances 
in  21,  14-15  which  perhaps  were  placed  on  the  margin  by  a  com- 
mentator as  variants,  and  then  slipped  into  Eliphaz's  speech 

276 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

[The  righteous  shall  see  and  rejoice,  19 

And  the  innocent  shall  laugh  them  to  scorn : 

"  Surely  their  substance  is  cut  oiF  ^ 

And  fire  has  consumed  their  wealth,  "l^^ 

Endeavor  to  make  thy  peace  with  Him;^'  ^01  Should 

And  thereby  ^4  happiness  shall  come  to  thee.^^  reconcUe 

Receive  instruction  ^^  from  His  mouth;  Ccd! 

And  lay  up  His  words  in  thy  mind. 

If  thou  wilt  humbly  return  to  Shaddai,  ^3 


through  an  error.     We  must  separate  the  verses  into  three 
sections  as  follows: 

(a)  17a  "Who  say  to  God;  Away  from  us, 

And  what  can  Shaddai  do  to  us" — 

a  paraphrase  or  variant  to  21,  14  (read  "to  us,"  as  the  Greek 
version,  instead  of  "to  them") 

(b)  "And  He  fills  their  houses  with  happiness," 

perhaps  a  variant  to  21,  16*  added  by  some  one,  who  felt  that 
the  text  as  it  stands  could  not  be  an  utterance  of  Job's 

(c)  "the  counsel  of  the  wicked  be  far  from  me" 

is  repeated  from  21,  16*'. 

^  Verse  20  must  be  taken  to  represent  the  exclamation  of 
the  righteous  innocent  over  the  discomfiture  of  the  wicked,  but 
I  cannot  help  feeling  that  these  two  verses  (19-20)  which  strike 
one  as  particularly  commonplace  and  superfluous — besides  post- 
poning the  climax  which  begins  in  v.  21, — are  likewise  later 
additions.  The  20th  verse  is  missing  in  the  original  Greek  text. 
The  speech  in  any  case  is  much  stronger  without  16-20,  since 
verse  21  joins  on  directly  to  v.  15. 

^  This  is  the  meaning  of  a  line  that  is  difficult,  because  of 
the  evident  corruption  of  the  text. 

2*  So  read  instead  of  "by  them." 

^^  So  read  by  a  slight  change  of  the  text. 

26  j^  is  interesting  to  find  the  term  Torah — later  the  tech- 
nical term  for  the  Pentateuchal  Codes — used  here  in  the  general 
sense  of  "instruction." 

277 


tHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

[And]  remove  unrighteousness  from  thy  tents  ;27 
25  Then  Shaddai  will  be  thy  goldmine, 

And  silver  in  superabundance  to  thee. 

Then  shalt  thou  have  delight  in  Shaddai^^ 

And  shall  lift  up  thy  hands  to  God.^^ 

Thou  wilt  entreat  Him,  and  He  will  hearken  to 

thee; 
And  thou  wilt  be  able  to  perform  thy  vows.^° 
Thou  wilt  decree  a  thing,  and  it  shall  be  estab- 
lished. 
And  light  shall  shine  upon  thy  ways. 
29»>  [For]  the  humble  He  will  save,^^ 

30*         And  the  innocent  ^^  one  He  will  deliver.'' 


2^  Verse  24 — omitted  in  the  original  Greek  version — Is  an 
attempt  to  Interpret  the  metaphor  in  v.  25  and,  as  generally 
happens,  when  a  metaphor  is  taken  literally,  the  effect  Is  spoiled. 

"Gold  ore  will  be  regarded  as  dust  {i.e.,  it  will  be  so  abundant), 
And  Ophir  gold  {i.e.,  the  purest  gold)  as  the  rock  of  the  valleys." 

(Read  "as"  instead  of  "In.") 

2^  The  verb  suggests  "playing"  or  sporting  with  God.  God 
will  treat  you  like  a  spoiled  child,  and  do  anything  that  thou 
askest  of  Him.    So  Ehrlich's  Interpretation. 

2^  So  read  by  a  slight  change  in  the  text,  and  which,  In 
view  of  the  following  verse,  gives  a  better  sense  than  "raise 
thy  face." 

^^i.  <f.,  carry  out  all  thy  desires. 

^^  At  the  beginning  of  v.  29  there  is  an  addition  which  seems 
to  be  a  gloss  to  the  sentiment  that  "God  will  save  the  humble." 
Some  commentator  added:  "If  He  (:.<?.,  God)  lowers  one,  thou 
shouldst  say  "he  was  haughty."  The  original  Greek  version 
omits  verses  29  and  30  altogether. 

^2  Read  by  a  slight  change  "innocent  man,"  instead  of  "the 
not  Innocent,"  which  is  clearly  out  of  place. 

^^  Again  a  gloss  is  added,  forming  v.  30^  In  the  received 
text.  "He  shall  save  because  of  the  purity  of  thy  hands," 
which  is  clearly  intended  to  be  an  explanation  of  30*.    By  remov- 

278 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 


Then  Job  in  answer  said: 

Even  now,^*  I  would  restrain  ^"  my  complaint; 

Suppress  ^^  my  sighs. 

If  I  only  knew  where  to  find  Him, 

And  to  come  to  His  seat ! 

I  would  place  [my]  case  before  Him, 

And  fill  my  mouth  with  arguments. 

I  would  know  the  words  of  His  answer  to  me,      \ 

And  grasp  what  He  would  say  unto  me. 

Were  He  to  contend  with  me  in  the  greatness  of 

His    power. 
He  indeed  would  not  prevail  against  me.^^ 
It  would  be  an  upright  ^^  one  who  would  reason 

with  Him; 
And    I    would    be    deUvered   forever   from   my 

judges.'^ 


23,1 


Xjod  is  hida 
from  men. 
He  does  what 
He  pleases 
and  there  is 
no  escape 
from  His 
decision. 


ing  these  two  glosses  (29*  and  30^)  we  can  combine  verses  29 
and  30  into  one  stanza,  and  avoid  the  awkward  double  change 
from  the  third  to  the  second  person,  apart  from  other  ambigui- 
ties that  result  from  the  endeavor  to  translate  the  two  verses  as 
they  stand.  The  thought  that  the  humble  and  innocent  will  be 
saved  through  Job's  virtues  is  entirely  foreign  to  the  argument 
and  outside  of  the  horizon  of  Eliphaz,  as  he  is  depicted  in  the 
discussion. 

^^  Literally,  "to-day"  and  used  in  contrast  to  the  double 
"then"  in  verses  25-26  of  Eliphaz's  speech. 

®^  So  read  with  Ehrlich  and  as  demanded  by  the  context. 

*^This  the  sense  of  the  phrase  "pressing  the  hand"  upon 
one's  sighs. 

^^  Referring  to  a  former  utterance  (9,  19)  In  which  Job 
admitted  that  if  it  is  a  question  of  strength  he  is  worsted.  He 
now  declares  that  if  he  could  bring  his  case  before  God,  even  the 
superior  power  of  the  Deity  would  not  prevent  his  winning  out. 

^^  Referring  to  himself  (i,  i).  God  would  be  forced  to 
recognize  Job's  innocence. 

^^  Meaning  his  friends  who  act  as  his  judges  and  condemn 

279 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

But,  now,  I  go  forward,  and  He  is  not  there; 

And  backward  but  I  cannot  perceive  Him: 

[Bending  to  the  left,  I  cannot  take  hold  [of  Him] ; 

Turning  to  the  right,  I  cannot  see  [Him]/" 
10         He  knows  what  my  way  has  been  ;^^ 

Were  He  to  test  me,  I  would  come  out  as  gold/^ 

My  foot  has  held  to  His  steps; 

His  way  I  have  kept  without  swerving. 

From  the  command  of  His  lips  I  have  never 
swerved; 

In  my  bosom  ^'  I  treasured  the  words  of  His 
mouth. 
13  But  He  decides,*^  and  who  can  restrain  Him  ? 

What  He  desires,  even  that  He  does.^^ 
15         Therefore,  I  am  in  terror  before  Him; 

[When]  I  consider,  I  am  afraid  of  Him. 

For  God  has  crushed  my  spirit. 

And  Shaddai  has  terrorized  me. 


him.  Read  the  plural  instead  of  the  singular.  All  this  hope, 
however,  is  in  vain  because  one  cannot  find  God — a  bold 
utterance,  indeed! 

*®  Verses  8-9  are  an  elaboration  of  the  thought  expressed 
in  9,  II.  The  9th  verse  is  omitted  in  the  original  Greek  version 
and  may  be  a  later  amplification. 

*^  God  purposely  hides  himself  from  Job,  for  He  knows 
that  justice  is  on  Job's  side. 

*2Cf.  I  Peter  1,7. 

^3  So  the  Greek  text. 

^  So  by  a  slight  change  of  the  text. 

*^  Verse  14,  which  is  missing  in  the  Greek  versions  appears 
to  consist  of  two  glosses  (a)  "for  He  determines  my  bound" 
{i.e.,  my  fate) — a  gloss  to  13^  and  (b)  "There  are  many  such 
things  (?)  with  Him" — perhaps  a  comment  by  some  sympa- 
thizer with  Job,  to  indicate  that  many  more  illustrations  of 
sufferings  arbitrarily  imposed  upon  man  might  be  adduced. 

280 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

So  that  I  cannot  escape  (?),  because  of  the  dark-   . 

ness, 
And  I  am  enveloped  in  thick  gloom. 

Why  are  times  hidden  by  ^^  Shaddai,  24,  i 

So  that  [even]  those  who  know  Him  can  not  see  ^,^5    ^  . 

IS    daysr*^  of  th^  innocent 

[The  wicked]^*  remove  landmarks;  ufsftlh"" 

hands  of  thg 


^^  Or  perhaps  to  be  taken  literally  in  the  sense  of  ^^ivom.''^  ruthless  and 
^^  This  verse  has  occasioned  much  difficulty.    The  thought  «'»<^j^''^- 
to  be  expressed   appears  to   have  been   intentionally  veiled,      I 
because  of  its  extreme  audacity;  and  it  may  be  also  that  the      | 
text  has  been  further  interfered  with  in  order  to  tone  down  its 
real  import  that/a/^  is  blind,  that  the  future  is  so  hidden,  that 
none  of  God's  creatures,  not  even  the  most  pious  and  the  most 
learned,  can  follow  the  reason  for  things.    It  is  the  same  thought 
that  Koheleth  expresses  when  he  says  (8,  17) 

"I  realized  that  no  one  can  penetrate  to  the  core  of  what  happens  in 
arth,  that  man  cannot  understand  what  happens  under  the  sun,  despite  all 
iforts  to  seek  a  solution  .  .  .  and  even  if  a  wise  man  thinks  that  he  knows 
—yet  he  cannot  find  out.   Man  does  not  know.    (Jastrow,  A  GentU  Cynic^  p.  229) 

iJVith  a  view  of  reducing  the  boldness  of  the  thought,  "not" 
las  been  inserted.  The  Greek  text  preserves  the  original  read- 
ing without  "not."  If  we  insert  the  "not"  as  the  Massoretic 
text  does,  the  two  lines  would  read 

Why  are  times  not  hidden  by  Shaddai, 

So  that  His  followers  might  not  see  His  days  ? 

i.e.,  it  would  be  better  if  we  did  not  know  what  the  coming  days 
have  in  store  for  us.  This  appeared  to  be  the  more  orthodox 
thought  and  was,  therefore,  put  in  the  mouth  of  Job. 

*^  The  line  is  too  short  by  one  beat.  A  word  has  dropped 
out  and  since  the  subject  of  the  verb  is  in  any  case  "the  wicked  '* 
it  will  not  seem  too  bold  to  supply  this  word.  The  violent 
oppressors  commit  crimes  without  being  punished.  Note  that 
in  this  impressive  description  of  the  wrongs  perpetrated  in  the 
world,  there  is  a  transition  from  the  deeds  of  the  oppressors 
(v.  2-4)  to  the  sufferings  of  the  oppressed  (v.  5-8)  and  back 
again  to  the  oppressors  (v.  9),  then  once  more  to  the  oppressed 
victims  (v.  10-12),  and  back  to  the  oppressors  (v.  13-17). 
Cf.  Deut.  19,  14. 

281 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

They  steal  flocks,  and  pasture  them. 

3  They  drive  away  the  ass  of  orphans; 
They  take  the  widow's  ox  for  a  pledge. 

9  [They  pluck  the  orphan  from  the  breast; 
And  pledge  the  infant  ^^  of  the  poor.]^° 

4  They  turn  the  needy  out  of  the  way; 

The  poor  of  the  earth  hide  themselves  together. 

5  As  wild  asses  in  the  wilderness  they  must  go  forth, 
To  seek  food  as  their  task.^^ 

In  a  field  that  is  not  theirs  ^^  they  harvest; 

And  are  forced  to  gamer  the  vineyard  of  the 

wicked  one. 
They  spend  the  night  without  clothing  ;^^ 
And  without  a  covering  in  the  cold. 
They  are  wet  with  the  mountain  torrents, 
Without  a  shelter,  they  cling  to  the  rock. 

10  They  "  go  about  naked  without  a  garment, 

'^^  So  read  by  a  slight  change  In  the  vocalization  of  the  word 
preceding  "poor." 

^^This  9th  verse  is  misplaced;  it  evidently  belongs  here 
after  the  third  verse.  The  alternative  would  be  to  regard  it  as  a 
later  addition  inserted  at  the  wrong  place. 

^^  A  commentator  adds,  by  way  of  comment  to  this  5th 
verse:  "The  desert  must  provide  the  food  for  their  children." 
The  needy  driven  from  the  towns  seek  sustenance  for  themselves 
and  for  their  children  in  the  wilderness,  like  wild  asses  seeking 
for  prey. 

^2  So  read  according  to  the  Greek  text.  The  description 
in  this  verse  is  of  the  victims  of  the  rich  despoilers,  who  must 
garner  the  fruits  in  a  field  which  the  wicked  has  stolen,  and 
must  work  In  vineyards  that  have  been  seized  through  violence. 
An  impressive  and  pathetic  picture  of  the  enslavement  of  the 
masses  through  the  greed  and  violence  of  the  possessing  classes. 

^^They  have  been  robbed  even  of  their  garments.  A  gloss 
adds  the  superfluous  "naked"  suggested  by  v.  10.  Cf.  above  22,6. 

"  The  orphans  and  the  children  of  the  poor. 

282 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

And  themselves  hungry  must  carry  the  sheaves. ^^ 

They  are  forced  to  press  the  oil  between ^® 

They  tread  the  winepresses,  and  thirst.  ^^ 

The  weaklings^^  groan, 

And  the  souls  of  the  wounded  cry  for  help.^^ 

They  are  of  those  who  rebel  against  Hght;^° 

They  sit  not  in  its  paths. ®^ 

The  murderer  rises  at  the  break  of  light;®^ 

And  at  night  he  is  as  a  thief. 

The  eye  of  the  adulterer  waits  for  the  twilight, ^^  'S 

And  puts  a  covering  on  his  face.^^ 

^^  Garnering  for  the  rich  owners  of  the  field,  while  they, 
the  poor,  receive  nothing. 

''^An  obscure  word  follows.  The  ordinary  translation 
"between  their  rows"  gives  no  sense.  Various  conjectures 
have  been  proposed,  but  none  of  them  is  entirely  satisfactory. 

"They  are  not  permitted  even  to  drink  the  grape  juice 
that  they  press  out. 

^  So  Ehrlich's  ingenious  interpretation  of  the  phrase 
which  occurs,  Deuteronomy  2,  34,  to  describe  those  not  fit  for 
military  service  and  who  therefore  remain  behind  with  the 
women  and  children. 

^^  A  glossator  adds,  "But  God  does  not  hear  the  prayer." 
The  last  word  of  that  gloss  is  to  be  vocalized  tefillah  "prayer." 
The  ordinary  translations  of  this  line  furnish  a  good  illustration 
of  the  absurdities  to  which  one  is  led  by  the  endeavor  to  translate 
an  erroneous  vocalization.  The  translation  of  the  American 
Baptist  Publication  Society  adopts  the  correct  reading. 

^°  A  splendid  line  to  describe  criminals  who  shun  the  sun- 
lightin  order  to  carry  out  their  deeds  under  the  cover  of  darkness. 

^^  A  variant  or  comment  adds:  "They  do  not  know  its 
ways,"  i.e.,  of  the  light. 

^^i.e.,  at  dawn  before  the  city  is  astir.  A  comment  or 
variant  reads:   "He  kills  the  poor  and  needy." 

®^  Again  a  comment  or  variant:  "Saying,  no  eye  sees  me." 
The  original  Greek  version  omits  from  verse  15-18. 

*^  Hardly  a  mask,  but  a  cloth  of  some  kind  so  as  to  conceal 
his  face — a  "veil"  as  Renan  (J oh  p.  104)  very  happily  suggests. 

283 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

They  break  into  houses  in  the  darkness; 
They  hide  themselves  by  day.^^ 
For  daybreak^^  is  to  them  [as]  dark  night;" 
When  it  is  recognized,  [as]  the  terrors  of  dark  night. 
He  moves  swiftly  upon  the  face  of  the  waters;®^ 
He  turns  aside  into  the  way  of  the  vineyards,^® 
19         In  cold  ^°  as  in  heat  they  steal  ^^ 


^^Read  the  plural  in  the  first  line.  A  comment  reads: 
"They  know  not  the  light." 

*^  i.e.^  they  are  afraid  of  the  day,  and  fear  it  as  one  does 
the  terrors  of  the  night.  The  line  contains  a  superfluous  "  alto- 
gether"— a  variant  to  "to  them." 

^^  Literally,  "deep  darkness,"  which  is  frequently  used  to 
express  terror  aroused  by  dense  gloom. 

®*He  takes  the  refuge  on  the  water  when  day  comes  or 
he  hides  in  the  vineyards.  At  this  point  and  to  the  end  of  the 
chapter,  some  pious  reader  or  commentator,  shocked  at  Job's 
audacity  in  thus  describing  the  various  classes  of  offenders  who 
ply  their  trade  without  any  interference  on  the  part  of  a  Deity, 
indifferent  to  the  crimes  that  are  daily  committed,  inserts  pious 
reflections  to  counteract  Job's  extreme  cynicism.  So  at  this 
point,  there  is  an  addition,  "their  portion  is  cursed  in  the  earth." 

^  So  the  Greek  version  which  omits  "not"  and  "way.'* 

"*  So  read  by  a  slight  change  of  the  text. 

^^  The  rest  of  the  verse  is  entirely  unintelligible.  Verse  20 
distinctly  reflects  the  point  of  view  of  the  pious  commentator 
who,  in  opposition  to  Job,  emphasizes  the  doom  in  store  for 
the  persistent  and  cruel  offender 

"The  womb  forgets  him; 
Worms  feed  (?)  on  him 
He  is  no  longer  remembered; 
Iniquity  is  crushed  like  a  tree." 

The  language  besides  is  confused,  and  the  beats  in  the  line 
uneven.  The  third  line  may,  in  fact,  be  a  prose  explanation  of 
the  first  one.  Various  emendations  have  been  suggested  for 
"womb"  and  for  the  verb  in  the  second  line,  but  they  are  all 
unsatisfactory, 

284 


21 


23 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

He  lies  with  the  barren  who  cannot  bear;'^^ 

And  gives  no  aid  to  the  widow. 

He  entices  the  strong  ones  by  his  power; 

He  rises  up,  and  none  is  sure  of  Hfe. 

He  assures  one  of  safety  on  which  they  rely  ^^ 

While  His  eye  is  on  their  ways.^* 

If  it  is  not  so,  who  will  prove  me  to  be  a  liar,  25 

And  nullify  my  speech? 

375 

The  Reconstructed  Third  Speech  of  Bildad'^ 

Then  Bildad  in  answer  said :  25,  i 

Does  He  rule  by  terror,"  25, 1-6  and 


26,  S-14 


^2  A  veiled  illusion  to  sexual  indulgences  of  an  immoral  ^^^■»' 
character.  ^  ^  3^*''' 

^3  This  appears  to  be  the  meaning  of  this  difficult  line.  The  ^^'** 
villain  lures  his  victims  under  pretense  of  protecting  them. 

^*  i.e.y  on  his  victims  whom  he  trickily  draws  into  his  net. 
Verse  24  is  again  an  addition  on  the  part  of  a  pious  commenta- 
tor, who  furnishes  the  antidote  to  Job's  poisonous  suggestion 
in  regard  to  the  immunity  from  ultimate  punishment  of  the 
shrewd  and  unscrupulous  in  whose  presence  no  one  is  safe. 

"They  are  exalted  for  a  while  and  brought  low  (gloss  or  variant  "are 
no  more") 

And  as  the  tips  of  the  grain  they  wither,  (with  a  variant  or  comment : 
"Like    .     .     .    they  are  cut  off") 

^*  For  the  sake  of  convenience  I  summarize  the  rearrange- 
ment of  chapters  25-3 1,  as  set  forth  above  pp.  67-74  ^^^  130-140: 

(i)  Bildad's  third  speech,  chapter  25,  1-6  and  26,  5-14, 
with  reminiscences  of  former  utterances  in  the  older  draft  of 
the  book,  as  for  example,  4,  17-19  (Eliphaz)  =  25,  4-6. 

(2)  Job's  answer  to  Bildad's  third  speech,  26,  1-4;  27,  2-6 
and  30,  16-24,  concluding  with  3 1,  35-37,  but  which  may  origin- 
ally have  been  the  close  of  the  missing  reply  to  Zophar's  speech 
in  the  third  series.  This  would  give  us  twenty-two  verses,  or  a 
little  less  than  the  average  length  of  a  complete  chapter. 

285 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

He  who  maintains  peace  on  high? 
Is  there  any  Hmit  to  His  armies  ? 


(3)  Zophar's  third  speech  31,  2-4;  27,  7-23,  with  30,  2-8,  as 
an  independent  fragment,  the  whole  being  in  line  with  Zophar's 
arraignment  in  chapter  20  of  the  fate  of  the  evildoers,  and  of 
the  punishment  that  will  be  meted  out  to  them.  The  beginning 
of  the  speech  is  represented  by  the  section  31,  2-4,  which  was 
intentionally  torn  from  its  original  position.  Job's  reply  is 
lacking.  It  is  replaced  by  the  two  supplementary  speeches 
(chapters  29-31). 

(4)  A  supplementary  speech  of  Job,  devoted  to  setting 
forth  the  proper  life  that  he  led,  and  the  esteem  in  which  he  was 
held,  contrasted  with  the  contempt  now  heaped  upon  him 
because  of  his  sad  condition.  This  speech,  which  clearly  betrays 
marks  of  steady  amplification  as  well  as  of  an  intentional 
rearrangement  of  the  sections,  is  to  be  subdivided  as  follows: 

{a)  29,  1-20. 

ih)  29,  21-25  as  an  independent  elaboration, 
(c)  30,  I  and  9-15  and  30,  26-31,  forming  the  close  of  this 
supplementary  speech. 

(5)  A  second  supplementary  speech,  consisting  of  31,  i 
and  5-34  (with  30,  25  to  be  inserted  after  31,  15)  and  31,  38-40. 
In  this  speech  Job  indulges  in  elaborate  descriptions  of  all  the 
fine  and  virtuous  things  which  he  did  and  how  he  avoided  sin 
and  all  temptation — descriptions  that  are  none  the  less  fatuous, 
because  they  are  put  in  an  implied  manner.  The  speech  falls 
into  seven  sections  which  need  to  be  arranged  in  a  different 
order  to  form  a  proper  sequence.    See  below  p.  304. 

These  two  supplementary  speeches  have  been  combined 
into  one  under  a  single  heading  (29,  i):  and  in  the  course  of 
the  further  editing  process,  the  sections  above  noted  were  also 
inserted  into  the  two  speeches,  which  in  turn  led  to  a  further 
rearrangement.  The  very  length  of  the  two  speeches  (96  verses) 
precludes  the  possibility  of  their  being  a  single  composition. 
Moreover,  each  speech  furnishes  internal  evidence  of  being  a 
gradual  growth,  with  a  number  of  independent  elaborations. 
That  these  supplementary  speeches  are  by  different  writers 
from  those  to  whom  we  owe  the  speeches  of  Job  in  the  original 
book  has  been  made  evident  in  the  above  discussion  pp.  137  seq. 

(6)  Chapter   28,   an   inserted   and    entirely   independent 

286 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

And  over  whom  does  His  authority  not  extend  ?^^ 

How  can  man  win  a  suit  against  God?^^ 

And  how  can  woman-born  be  pure  ? 

Since  even  the  moon  is  not  worthy, ^°  S 

And  stars  are  not  pure  in  His  eyes. 

How  much  less  a  man — a  mere  worm; 

And  a  maggot  of  a  human  being! 

[26,  1-4  forming  part  of  Job's  speech  in  reply  to 

Bildad,    below,    p.  289] 
The  shades  below  are  in  terror  ;^^  26,5 

•   The  waters  and  their  inhabitants. 
Sheol  is  naked  ^^  before  Him, 
And  there  is  no  covering  to  Abaddon.^' 
Over  empty  space  He  stretches  the  North ; 

chapter  on  the  "Search  for  Wisdom,"  originally  placed  at  the 
close  of  the  third  series  of  speeches. 

(7)  The  colophon  31,  40":  "The  words  of  Job  are  ended" 
represents  the  close  of  the  original  Book  of  Job  and  was  trans- 
ferred from  its  original  position  at  the  close  of  Job's  speech  in 
the  third  series  in  reply  to  Zophar  to  the  end  of  the  second  supple- 
mentary speech. 

^®  Consisting  of  25,  1-6  and  26,  5-14.  See  the  discussion 
above  p.  130  seq. 

^^  So  by  a  very  slight  change  in  the  text. 

^^  So  read  with  Ehrlich  by  a  slight  change  in  the  text. 

^*  i.<f.,  expect  to  be  acquitted  of  all  guilt.  Bildad  quotes 
Job's  utterance  (9,  2),  but  gives  it  a  different  turn.  Verses  4-6 
are  clearly  reminiscent  of  4,  17-19  (Eliphaz)  and  thus  betray 
their  dependence  upon  the  speech  put  into  the  mouth  of  Eliphaz. 

^°  Literally :  "  bright,"  but  in  the  sense  of  altogether  worthy 
The  reference  is  perhaps  to  an  eclipse  of  the  moon,  regarded  by 
the  ancients  as  a  punishment  of  the  moon  for  some  offense. 

^^  Verses  5-1 1  and  most  of  v.  14  are  omitted  in  the  original 
Greek  version. 

^^  i.e.,  revealed.  Nothing  is  hidden  from  God.  Cf.  Prov. 
15,  II. 

^  i.e.,  "Destruction"  one  of  the  names  of  the  nether  world. 

287 


10 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

He  hangs  the  earth  over  nothing. 

In  His  thick  clouds  He  binds  up  the  water; 

And  the  cloud  is  not  rent  under  their  weight. 

He  covers  the  face  of  the  moon;^* 

And  spreads  His  cloud  upon  it. 

He  fixes  a  boundary  to  the  face  of  the  waters; 

To  the  confluence  ^^  of  Hght  with  darkness. 

The  pillars  of  heaven  ^^  tremble, 

And  at  His  wrath  are  aghast. 

With  His  power  He  stirred  up  the  sea, 

And  by  His  strategy  shattered  Rahab.^^ 

By  His  breath  He  subdued  ( ?)  the  waters  ;^* 

His  hand  pierced  the  fleeing  serpent.^' 

These  are  but  the  outskirts  of  His  ways, 

And  a  mere  whisper  that  penetrates  to  us.'° 


**  So  read — as  suggested  by  Ibn  Ezra  back  in  the  12th 
Century — ^by  a  different  vocalization  of  the  word  translated 
"throne." 

^^  Literally,  the  "extreme  limit"  where  light  and  darkness 
meet. 

®®  The  span  of  the  heavens  was  popularly  supposed  to  rest 
on  two  pillars,  one  at  each  end  of  the  vault. 

*^  The  sea  monster,  as  the  personification  of  the  primaeval 
chaos.    See  above  the  note  to  9,  13. 

®The  reading  "waters"  instead  of  "heavens"  (through 
the  omission  of  one  letter  in  the  Hebrew  word)  is  demanded  by 
the  context.  The  reference  is,  as  in  9,  13,  to  the  myth  of  crea- 
tion which,  common  to  Babylonians  and  Hebrews,  represented 
primaeval  chaos  as  a  group  of  monsters  that  had  to  be  subdued 
before  order  could  be  established.  Daiches*  explanation  of 
verses  12-13  in  the  Zeitschrift  fur  Assy riologie  XXV,  1-8  misses 
the  point  that  all  four  lines  refer  to  the  sea. 

^i.e.,  one  of  the  primaeval  monsters,  like  Rahab  and 
Leviathan.    See  the  comment  to  Chap.  40,  25. 

•°  The  closing  phrase,  "The  thunder  of  His  might  who  can 
grasp,"  is  clearly  a  misplaced  gloss  to  v.  11 — an  exclamation 

288 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

C 
The  Reconstructed  Speech  of  Job  in  Reply  to  Bildad  ^^ 

Then  Job  in  answer  said :  26,  i 

How  thou  hast  helped  the  one  without  power,  2 
Aided  the  one  without  strength !  ^^  26, 1-4  and 

Through  whom  have  [these]  words  been  told  thee  ?  job  main- 
And  whose  spirit  speaks  through  thee  P^^  Talmofkis 

[26,  5-14-part  of  Bildad's  third  speech — above,  innoc^cr. 
p.  287.] 


of  some  pious  reader.  The  original  Greek  version  omits  verses 
5-1 1,  of  Bildad's  speech  and  all  of  v,  14,  except  the  closing 
phrase.  Verses  7-13  are  again  reminiscent  of  9,  5-13,  there 
put  into  the  mouth  of  Job  in  protest  against  the  exercise  of 
God's  power,  the  existence  and  unlimited  force  of  which  he 
admits,  but  here  brought  forward  with  the  evident  intention 
of  proving  how  presumptuous  it  is  of  man  to  question  God's 
ways.  The  spirit  in  which  this  description  of  God's  supreme 
control  of  the  universe  is  to  be  taken  is  indicated  by  the  gloss 
at  the  end  of  v.  14,  "The  thunder  of  his  might,  who  can  grasp.?" 

®^This  speech,  consists  of  26,  1-4;  27,  2-6;  30,  16-24,  and 
31,  35-37.  The  editorial  heading  is  missing  in  Jerome's  version. 
See  the  discussion  above  p.  134. 

^2  The  "one  without  power"  and  the  "one  without 
strength"  are  not  intended  to  describe  Job  but  God,  though,  of 
course,  in  a  sarcastic  spirit.  In  a  bitterly  ironical  tone,  Job 
taunts  his  opponents  with  having  furnished  arguments  to  defend 
God,  as  though  He  were  without  power  and  strength.  Verse  3 
is  clearly  an  endeavor  to  interpret  verse  i,  but  on  the  part  of  a 
commentator,  who  wishes  to  give  a  less  objectionable  turn  to 
Job's  taunt  by  applying  the  terms  "without  power"  and  "with- 
out strength"  to  Job. 

"How  hast  thou  counselled  the  one  without  wisdom, 
And  hast  imparted  instruction  in  abundance!" 

®^A  continuation  of  the  sharp  sarcasm,  to  suggest  that 
what  Bildad  has  brought  forward  is  commonplace  and  trite. 
For  the  phrase  used,  see  I  Kgs.  22,  24. 

19  289 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

27,  2  94      gy  Qod  who  has  taken  my  right; 

And  by  Shaddai  who  has  vexed  my  soul ; 
3         As  long  as  there  is  breath  within  me, 
And  the  spirit  of  God  in  my  nostrils ;^5 
5         Far  be  it  from  me  to  justify  you; 

Till  I  die  I  will  not  relinquish  my  innocence.  ^^ 

1  hold  fast  tomy  justification  without  letting  it  go  ;^^ 
My  mind  will  never  yield  its  innocence. ^^ 
[Verses  7-23,  part  of  third  speech  of  Zophar — 

below  p.  294.] 
30, 16         My  soul  is  poured  out  within  me;^^ 
30, 16-24  and         Days  of  affliction  have  seized  me. 

By  night  my  bones  are  wrenched  from  me,^ 
loith^renl         "^^^  -"^3^  womout  frame  ^  does  not  permit  sleep. 
With  great  force  it  clutches  at  my  garment,^ 

^'^  A  later  editor  has  inserted  the  heading,  "And  Job  again 
took  up  his  speech  as  follows,"  which  he  found  at  the  beginning 
of  Chap.  29  and  repeated  here. 

*^  A  quotation  from  Genesis  2,  7,  which  Is  thus  assumed  In 
its  present  form.  A  pious  commentator  in  order  to  give  a  diifer- 
ent  turn  to  Job's  bold  insistence  upon  this  innocence,  inserts  (v.  4) 
— ^perhaps  based  on  Psalm  34,  14, 

"My  lips  shall  not  speak  unrighteousness, 
Nor  my  tongue  utter  deceit." 

**  i.e.,  the  claim  of  my  Innocence. 
®^  So  read,  following  Ehrlich. 
^^  Again,  the  claim  of  my  Innocence. 
^  The  line  is  missing  In  the  original  Greek  version. 
*  i.e.  the  pain  is  so  excruciating  at  night  that  it  seems  to 
him  as  though  his  bones  were  being  wrenched  out  of  their  sockets. 

2  So  Ehrlich's  interpretation,  by  a  comparison  with  the 
Arabic  equivalent  which  designates  bone  from  which  the  flesh 
has  been  removed.  Job  says  that  he  is  a  mere  skeleton  without 
flesh,  so  that  his  bones  ache  when  he  lies  on  them. 

^  Verse  18  describes  by  way  of  contrast,  his  sufferings  by 
day  when  he  is  clothed,  and  the  pain  seizes  him  now  at  the 

290 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

And  grasps  me  at  the  hem  of  ^  my  undergarment. 

Into  the  mire  He  has  cast  me, 

So  that  I  am  utterly  undone.^ 

I  cry  unto  Thee,  but  Thou  dost  not  answer;         20 

I  stop,  and  Thou  starest  at  me.^ 

Thou  art  turned  cruel  to  me; 

By  the  force  of  Thy  hand  Thou  torturest  ^  me. 

Thou  liftest  me  up  with  the  wind,^ 

And  the  storm  ^  tosses  me  about. 

I  know  that  Thou  wilt  deliver  me  to  death. 

To  the  gathering  place  ^°  of  all  the  living. 

But  it  ^^  is  not  forthcoming  ^^  upon  request  ;^^  24 


upper  garment,  now  at  the  lower  garment.  The  dress  consists 
of  a  lower  garment,  hanging  from  the  loins,  and  an  upper  gar- 
ment, covering  the  upper  part  of  his  body.  He  has  pains  every- 
where throughout  his  body. 

^  So  read  by  a  slight  change  in  the  text. 

^Literally:  "Dust  and  ashes,"  an  idiomatic  expression  to 
convey  the  idea  of  being  completely  undone.  It  occurs  again 
42,  6,  probably  quoted  from  our  passage. 

^  Without,  however,  helping  me.  It  is  all  the  same  whether 
I  cry  or  whether  I  suffer  in  silence. 

^  So  the  Greek  text. 

^  An  explanatory  gloss  is  added,  "Thou  causest  me  to  ride," 
t./f.,  on  the  wind.  Both  the  liije  and  the  gloss  are  missing  in  the 
original  Greek  version. 

^  So  read  by  a  slight  change  in  the  text.  The  metaphor 
in  this  verse  is  that  of  a  ship  at  the  mercy  of  the  wind,  tossed 
about  in  an  angry  sea. 

10  Literally:  "gathering  house." 

"  i.e. J  death. 

12  Literally:  "it  does  not  stretch  forth  the  hand." 

^^  So  to  be  rendered,  instead  of  the  meaningless  "ruinous 
heap,"  retained  in  the  translation  of  the  American  Jewish 
Publication  Society. 

291 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

Nor  does  release  ^*  come  in  one's  distress. ^^ 
[Verse  25,  belonging  to  Job's  second  supplemen- 
tary speech  is  to  be  placed  after  31,  15,  below, 
p.  306. 
Verses  26-31 — the  conclusion  of  Job's  first  supple- 
mentary speech — below,  p.  303.] 
3«,  35-37  '•         [O  that  there  were  some  one  to  hear  me!^^ 
Here  is  my  brief^^^ — let  Shaddai  refute  me.^® 
Aye,  I  will  lift  it  on  my  shoulder; 

"  So  read  by  a  slight  change  in  the  text.  Job  complains 
that  although  he  knows  that  God  will  not  grant  him  a  release 
from  his  pains  and  that  death  is  in  store  for  him,  yet  death  does 
not  come  though  one  longs  for  it.  A  pathetic  outcry  of  one  who 
feels  himself  doomed,  and  who  yet  is  not  permitted  to  die. 

^*The  following  verse  (v.  25)  belongs  to  Job's  second 
supplementary  speech.  It  may  have  been  added  on  the  margin 
of  a  codex  and  inserted  by  a  later  copyist  into  a  wrong  place. 
I  place  it  after  the  section  31,  15.    Below  p.  306. 

^^  Conclusion  either  of  Job's  speech  in  reply  to  Bildad,  or 
of  the  missing  speech  of  Job  in  reply  to  Zophar.  See  above,  p. 
67  seq,,  and  the  summary,  p.  285. 

^^  The  line  is  omitted  in  the  original  Greek. 

*^  Literally,  "my  cross,"  the  word  used  being  Taiv,  the 
name  of  the  last  letter  of  the  Hebrew  alphabet,  corresponding 
to  our  T  and  having  originally  the  form  of  a  cross.  The  cross 
is  the  mark  or  signature  attached  to  a  document,  and  is  here 
used  for  the  document  itself,  authenticated  by  the  signature. 

^^  Literally:  "answer  me,"  but  in  the  legal  sense  of  present- 
ing a  counter  argument.  What  follows  (in  prose  form)  "and 
the  indictment  (literally:  "book")  which  my  adversary  has 
written,"  is  an  amplifying  comment  to  "Here  is  my  brief,"  to 
suggest  Job's  anxiety  to  refute  any  charges  that  might  be 
brought  against  him.  The  adversary  is,  of  course,  God.  The 
line  is  superfluous  and  interrupts  the  context.  As  a  comment, 
however,  added  by  way  of  explanation  to  "my  brief"  it  is 
intelligible.  The  famous  quotation  "Oh  that  mine  adversary 
had  written  a  book"  (so  the  Authorized  Version)  thus  turns  out 
to  be  both  a  mistranslation  and  misconception  of  our  passage. 

292 


"tHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

I  will  wear  it  as  my  crown. 

With  steady  gait  I  will  confront  him; 

[And]  as  a  prince  approach  him.]  ^o 

D 

The  Reconstructed  Third  Speech  of  Zophar^^ 

What  22  is  the  portion  of  God  above,  3i>  2 

And  the  heritage  of  Shaddai  on  high?  3i»  2-4;  27, 

Is  it  not  calamity  for  the  evildoer,  2-6 

And  disaster  to  those  who  do  wrong?  d!omotthf 

Does  not  He  see  my  ways,  wicked. 

20  Verses  38-40'*  form  part  of  Job's  second  supplementary 
speech,  below  p.  305.^ 

"  See  the  discussion  above  p.  133.  The  speech,  consisting  of 
31,  2-4;  27,  7-23  and  30, 2-8,  forms  a  parallel  to  Zophar's  second 
speech  (Chapter  20),  further  elaborating  the  description  of  the 
punishment  in  store  for  the  wicked,  even  though  for  a  time  he 
flourishes.  The  fragment  appears  to  be  an  attempt  on  the  part 
of  a  writer  to  try  his  hand  at  a  refutation  of  Job's  charge  that 
the  wicked  flourish  in  this  world  quite  as  frequently  as  they  are 
punished,  if  not  more  so;  it  has  been  assigned  to  Job  by  an  ortho- 
dox commentator  with  deliberate  intent,  so  as  to  convey  the 
impression  of  Job's  conversion  to  the  conventional  point  of  view. 

The  three  verses  (3 1,  2-4),  inserted  into  the  second  supple- 
mentary speech  of  Job  (see  above  p.  286),  are  clearly  out  of  place 
where  they  stand  and  interrupt  the  context.  The  thought  is 
entirely  along  the  lines  of  27,  7-23  and  30,  2-8  and  forms  an 
appropriate  beginning  to  a  si>eech,  setting  forth  again  in  variant 
form,  the  awful  fate  in  store  for  the  wicked.  I  have,  therefore^ 
no  hesitation  in  placing  the  verses  here,  where  they  form  a 
proper  link  with  the  section  27,  7-23,  which  begins  rather  ab- 
ruptly. They  were  torn  from  their  place  with  deliberate  intent, 
in  order  to  represent  Job  as  giving  expression  to  the  orthodox: 
view  regarding  the  justice  of  God  in  dealing  out  punishment  to 
the  wicked  in  this  world. 

22 The  conjunction  "And"  was  added  by  the  editor,  who 
transferred  the  verses  to  Chap.  31. 

293 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

And  count  all  my  steps  P^^ 

[27,  2-6  part  of  Job's  speech  in  reply  to  Bildad's 

third  speech,  above  p.  290.] 
^7y7         May  [the  fate  of]  my  enemy  be  as  that  of  the 

wicked, 
And  my  adversary  [have  the  fate]  of  the  evil- 

doer.24 
For  what  is  the  hope  of  the  impious,^^ 
When  God  threatens  ( F)^^  his  life  ? 
Will  God  hear  his  cry, 
When  trouble  comes  upon  him  ? 
10  Can  he  count  upon  ^^  Shaddai? 

Approach  ^  God  at  all  times  ? 
[I  will  teach  you  concerning  God's  power, 
And  not  conceal  what  Shaddai  brings  about. 
Behold  all  of  you  have  seen  it; 
Why  then  this  fooHshness  that  you  display  P]^^ 
This  is  the  portion  of  the  wicked  from  God, 
And  the  heritage  of  the  oppressors  from  Shaddai. ^° 

^Giving  a  different  turn  to  Job's  complaint,  13,  27. 

^A  general  curse,  levelled  by  Zophar  at  Job,  who  is  the 
wicked  and  the  evildoer. 

2^  A  gloss  adds,  "that  there  should  be  any  profit." 

^®  So  demanded  by  the  context. 

^^  The  verb  indicates  a  cordial  relation  to  God,  as  that  of  a 
favorite  child  to  his  father. 

^  So  read  by  a  slight  change  in  the  text. 

**  Verses  11-12,  it  will  be  observed,  represent  an  address 
in  the  plural,  whereas  one  expects  the  singular  on  the  supposition 
that  Zophar  is  speaking  to  Job.  Either  the  change  was  intention- 
ally made  after  the  fragment  had  been  inserted  into  a  supposed 
speech  of  Job's,  or  the  verses  represent  a  later  addition  to  adapt 
the  speech  to  Job,  as  though  he  were  addressing  the  three  friends. 

^°  Parallel  to  20,  29  (Zophar)  and  no  doubt  taken  over  from 
the  former  speech. 

294 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

If  his  children  be  multiplied,  it  is  for  the  sword; 

And  his  offspring  shall  not  have  bread  enough.^^ 

Those  that  remain  ^^  shall  be  buried  by  pestilence;  is 

And  there  shall  be  no  widows  to  mourn. ^^ 

Though  he  heap  up  silver  as  dust, 

And  provide  garments  as  clay; 

He  may  provide,  but  the  righteous  will  put  on. 

And  the  innocent  shall  divide  the  silver. 

He  builds  his  house  as  a  spider's  web,^* 

As  a  [vineyard]  booth  for  the  keeper. ^^ 

He  lies  down  rich,  but  it  ^®  will  not  continue; 

He  opens  his  eyes,  and  it  is  gone. 

Terrors  overtake  him  by  day;^^  ^ 

The  tempest  removes  him  by  night. 

The  east  wind  carries  him  off  and  away; 

And  sweeps  him  out  of  his  place. 

Its  arrows  shoot  without  sparing  ;^^ 


'^A  direct  answer  to  Job's  assertion  21,  7-1 1,  showing 
clearly  that  27,  13-23  cannot  be  placed  in  the  mouth  of  Job. 

^2  i.e.,  those  that  are  left  over  from  the  sword  and  famine. 

^  i.e.,  the  remaining  sons  and  their  wives  will  also  die  of 
the  plague. 

^  So  the  Greek  text.  What  the  wicked  builds  will  be  as 
fragile  as  a  spider's  web;  their  riches  will  not  be  permanent. 
This  is  directly  contrary  to  Job's  assertion  (21,  13  seq.),  but  in 
accord  with  what  Bildad  (8,  13-15)  says. 

^^  So  the  Greek  and  the  Syriac  versions.  The  reference  is 
to  the  booth  or  hut  erected  temporarily  in  the  vineyards  during 
the  vintage  season  to  house  the  one  who  guards  the  vineyard 
against  theft. 

^^  i.e.,  his  wealth. 

^^  So  read  by  a  slight  change  in  the  text, instead  of  "waters." 

^  i.e.,  the  arrows  of  misfortune  are  not  spared  in  hunting 
him  down.      Cf.  Jer.  50,  14. 

295 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

And  he  is  pierced  ^^  by  its  force/ ^ 

One  shall  clap  one's  hands  over  him,^^ 

And  in  his  own  place  ^^  one  shall  hiss  at  him. 

[For  chapter  28,  an  independent  composition  on 

the  '  'Search  for  Wisdom"  see  below  p.  3 10;  for  chapter 

29-30,1  part  of  Job's  first  supplementary  speech,  below^ 

p.  298.] 

[30,  2-8    an    independent   fragment,  containing 

and  elaborating  the  same  description  of  the  awful  fate 

in  store  for  the  wicked.]*^ 
30, 2         Of  what  profit  is  the  strength  of  their  hands  to 
them,4^ 
When  old  age  lays  its  hold  upon  them? 
Gaunt  with  want  and  famine, 
They  take  to  the  desert  for  refuge/^ 
Plucking  the  salt-root  with  wormwood, 
5         And  with  the  roots  of  the  broom  as  their  food. 
Driven  forth  from  the  community,^^ 

'^  So  Ehrlich*s  reading. 

*° Literally:  "hand,"  but  designating  the  force  of  the  evil 
fortune  or  punishment. 

*^  In  joy  at  his  discomfiture.    Cf.  30,  8. 

*2  Better  than  "out  of  his  place." 

*^  Barton,  Journal  of  Biblical  Literature,  vol.  30,  p.  74, 
proposes  to  take  verses  2-8  of  Chap.  30  as  part  of  Bildad*s  speech, 
beginning  with  Chap.  25,  but  Barton's  whole  theory  of  the  recon- 
struction of  this  speech  involves  too  many  transpositions  without 
sufficient  motive.  Besides,  it  is  Zophar  (Chap.  20)  and  not 
Bildad  who  dwells  so  emphatically  upon  the  fate  of  the  wicked. 

^*So  read  instead  of  "to  me."  Verses  2-3  and  4*  are 
missing  in  the  original  Greek  version. 

*^  There  is  an  obscure  word  in  3*,  but  the  general  sense  is 
clear.  A  gloss,  descriptive  of  the  desert  ( .?)  as  the  place  of  "  storm 
and  the  hurricane"  is  added. 

*^  So  by  a  slight  change  of  the  text. 
296 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

One  shouts  after  them  as  after  a  thief.*^ 

Forced  to  dwell  in  the  clefts  of  the  valleys, — 

In  caves  and  in  rocks. 

Among  the  thorny  growths  they  groan; 

Huddled  together  under  nettles. 

Worthless  and  nameless, 

They  are  scourged  out  of  the  land."*^ 


The  words  of  Job  are  ended. "^^  31, 40" 


*^  i.e.y  they  are  driven  off  with  derisive  shouts,  as  a  thief 
is  hounded  out  of  the  settlement. 

^  Cleady  a  parallel  to  27,  23  and  betraying  the  independent 
character  of  this  fragment. 

**The  colophon  to  the  original  Book  of  Job  see  above  p.67. 
Job's  reply  to  Zophar's  third  speech  is  lacking.  It  was  per- 
haps suppressed  because  too  objectionable  from  the  ortho- 
dox point  of  view;  and  at  all  events  replaced  by  the  two 
supplementary  speeches  of  Job,  embodied  in  chapters  29- 
31,  in  which,  however,  later  editors  in  their  rearrangement 
inserted  portions  of  Zophar^s  third  speech  (30,  2-8  and  31,  2-4) 
and  of  Job's  speech  in  reply  to  Bildad's  third  speech  (30, 16-24) 
and  the  conclusion  (31,  35-37). 


IV 

TWO  SUPPLEMENTARY  SPEECHES 
OF  JOB 

(Chapters  29-31) 


The  First  Supplementary  Speech  of  Job  ^° — 
Reconstructed 

*9»  I         And  Job  again  took  up  his  speech  ^^  as  follows : 
The  hippy         ^^  th.2it  I  Were  as  in  the  months  of  old, 
past.         As  in  the  days  when  God  watched  o'er  me;^^ 

When  His  lamp  hung  ^^  over  my  head ; 

When  by  His  light  I  could  venture  into  darkness.^* 

^^  Consisting  of  29,  1-20  with  21-25  as  an  independent 
elaboration  of  the  same  thought  as  in  7-1 1;  30,  i  and  9-15,  and 
26-31  as  the  close.  In  my  translation  I  divide  the  speech  into 
three  sections  as  follows: 

(a)  29,  1-20,  (b)  29,  21-25,  as  an  independent  supplement, 
followed  by  (c)  30,  i  and  9-15,  and  30,  26-3 1  as  the  conclusion. 

^^The  unusual  heading  in  place  of  the  conventional  "in 
answer  said  "  betrays  the  independence  of  this  speech  from  the 
body  of  the  book.  The  term  mashal  here  used  is  a  very  general 
one  for  "discourse"  or  speech;  but  which  in  time  acquired  the 
sense  of  a  speech  with  some  didactic  purpose.  Hence  it  becomes 
the  designation  for  the  "Book  of  Mashals,"  i.e.^  Proverbs;  it 
is  also  used  as  parable,  which  is  essentially  an  utterance  of  a 
didactic  character.  The  same  heading  was  appended  by  some 
editor  to  27,  i.    See  above,  p.  290,  note  94. 

^2  See  the  parallels  in  Dante  and  Chaucer,  quoted  by 
Strahan,  Joh,  p.  242. 

^^  So  by  a  slight  change  of  the  text. 

"This  is  the  meaning  of  the  Hebrew  phrase,  as  Ehrlich 
Randglossen,  6,  p.  293,  points  out. 

298 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

As  I  was  in  the  days  of  my  bloom, 

When  God  was  close  ^^  to  my  tent. 

[When  Shaddai  was  with  me  S 

And  my  children  about  me.]^^ 

When  my  guests  ^^  washed  in  cream, 

And  a  messenger  to  me^^  poured  streams  of  oil,^^ 

When  I  went  forth  to  the  gate,  ^° 

And  took  my  seat  in  the  broad  place ;^^ 

Youths  saw  me  and  withdrew,  ^^ 

And  the  aged  remained  standing.^' 

Princes  refrained  from  speaking,^* 

And  laid  their  hand  on  their  mouth.  ^^ 

The  voice  of  the  nobles  was  hushed, 

And  their  tongue  cleaved  to  their  palate.'®  lo 


^^  More  literally:  "In  close  converse." 

*^  Verse  5 — somewhat  banal  and  prosaic — is  probably  a 
later  insertion  to  explain  the  force  of  the  preceding  one.  Ehr- 
lich's  explanation  is  farfetched,  besides  involving  an  unnecessary 
correction  in  the  first  part  of  the  verse. 

*^  Not "  my  steps  "  but "  those  who  come  or  wander  to  me," 
i.e.^  the  wayfarers  who  sought  Job's  hospitality,  as  Ehrlich  has 
most  happily  suggested. 

^  So  by  a  slight  change  of  the  text,  instead  of  the  meaning- 
less "rock."   ^ 

^®  Meaning  that  streams  of  oil  were  poured  out  for  him. 
Cream  instead  of  water  to  wash  one's  feet,  and  oil  in  abundance 
are  symbols  of  the  overflowing  plenty  which  prevailed  in  Job's 
household.    Verse  6  Is  missing  in  the  Syriac  version. 

®^A  gloss  adds  "unto  the  city."  The  gate  is  the  place 
where  the  tribunal,  composed  of  the  leading  citizens,  sat. 

^^  i.e.,  the  plaza  at  the  gate  of  an  Oriental  town. 

^^  Out  of  respect. 

^^  A  gloss  adds  "rose,"  to  the  verb  "stood." 

^  Out  of  respect  for  Job. 

^^  The  sign  of  silence. 

®^  i.e.,  they  kept  back  anything  that  they  had  to  say. 
299 


rilE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

The  ear  that  heard  envied  me/^ 
And  the  eye  that  saw  emulated  me. 
For  I  deUvered  the  poor  that  cried  out, 
And  the  orphan  and  the  one  without  help. 
The  blessing  of  the  forsaken  was  poured  on  me; 
And  I  cheered  the  mind  of  the  widow. 
Righteousness  I  put  on  and  it  clothed  me; 
And  my  judgment  ^^  was  [my]  mantle  and  diadem.*' 
'5         Eyes  was  I  to  the  blind, 
And  feet  to  the  lame. 
A  father,  I  to  the  needy; 

And  I  searched  out  the  cause  of  the  unknown. 
And  I  broke  the  jaws  of  the  wicked, 
And  plucked  the  prey  from  his  teeth. 
And  I  thought  to  die  in  my  nest. 
To  lengthen  my  days  as  the  phoenix.  ^° 
My  root  exposed  to  water, 

®^  Literally,  "looked  upon  me  as  fortunate." 

^^  i.<?.,  the  just  decisions  rendered  by  him. 

^*  Symbols  of  royalty. 

^^An  interesting  metaphor  to  express  two  hopes — a  long 
life,  always  regarded  as  a  sign  of  Divine  favor,  and  to  die  peace- 
fully in  one's  home.  The  phoenix,  according  to  the  widespread 
belief  in  antiquity,  was  supposed  to  live  for  500  years  and  when 
his  time  was  come,  he  consumed  himself  by  setting  fire  to  his 
nest.  The  correct  translation  "Phoenix"  instead  of  "sand"  is 
found  in  the  translation  of  the  American  Jewish  Publication 
Society  as  also  on  the  margin  of  the  RV.  It  probably  underlies 
the  Greek  translation  (though  misunderstood  by  later  redactors) 
and  has  ancient  Rabbinical  authority  (see  Marcus  Jastrow, 
Talmudic  Dictionary  I,  p.  433  sub  Hot),  One  cannot  help  wonder- 
ing whether  if  "phoenix"  had  been  suggested  by  some  modern 
commentator,  it  would  have  been  adopted  by  translators  who 
retain  untenable  translations,  (merely  because  they  are  tradi- 
tional) in  hundreds  of  passages  that  are  far  more  unreasonable 
than  "sand"  instead  of  "phoenix." 

300 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

And  dew  falling  all  night  on  my  branch. 

My   glory  freshened/^  ^ 

And  the  bow  in  my  hand  renewed.  ^^ 

Unto  me  men  listened  and  waited," 

And  kept  silent  for  my  counsel. 

After  I  had  spoken,  they  spake  not  again; 

And  my  speech  dropped  upon  them. 

They  waited  for  me  as  for  rain; 

And  they  opened  their  mouth  as  for  latter  rain.^* 

When  I  smiled  upon  them,  they  gained  con- 
fidence,^^ 

And  at  sight  of  me  could  hardly  contain  them- 
selves.^^ 25 

I  choose  their  way  ^^  as  chief: 

And  I  sat  as  a  king  with  [his]  troops.  ^^ 


^^  i.e.,  with  ever  renewed  strength. 

^'^  There  is  a  strange  mixture  of  metaphors  in  these  two 
verses  (19  and  20)  to  express  practically  the  same  idea  as  in 
V.  18 — ^that  Job  hoped  to  end  his  days  as  he  had  lived,  with  his 
vigor  unimpaired  like  a  tree  whose  roots  are  constantly  fed  by 
water  and  which  does  not  dry  up,  and  like  one  whose  strength  is 
maintained  by  constantly  being  supplied  with  fresh  weapons. 

^'  29,  21-25,  is  an  independent  fragment,  expressing 
the  same  lament  over  the  contrast  between  then  and  nozo  as 
29,  i-ii.  I  place  it  here,  so  as  to  make  it  evident  that 
it  is  merely  another  attempt  to  describe  what  is  already  set 
forth  fully  in  29,  7-1 1. 

^^4  Cf.  Prov.  16,  15. 

^^  So  by  a  slight  change  of  the  text. 

^^  Such  the  meaning  of  the  line,  demanded  by  the  context. 

^^  i.e.,  guided  them.  The  line  has  a  superfluous  word 
added  by  way  of  comment. 

^*  i.e.,  he  was  looked  up  to  as  the  army  looks  to  the  king, 
who  is  also  the  general.    A  comment,  "As  one  who  comforts 

301 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

30, 1  But  now  those  younger  than  I  mock; 

'•9-15  and         Whom  I  would  have  disdained  to  set  with  my 

The  unhappy  flockJ^ 

present.         ^^^^  2_g — ^^^  ^£  ^^^  leconstructed  third  speech 
of  Zophar  see  above,  p.  296] 
9         Their  song  ^°  have  I  become, 

And  a  by-word  among  them. 
10         They  abhor  me  [and]  stand  aloof; 

And  refrain  not  from  spitting  in  my  face. 

For  they  have  severed  ^^  my  cords  and  afflicted 

me;^2 
And  cast  off  the  bridle  before  me. 
The  rabble  rises  up  at  my  right  ;^' 
They  have  cast  up  against  me  their ^* 


mourners/'  is  added,  to  suggest  a  different  interpretation  for 
''sitting  as  chief,"  as  though  referring  to  his  sitting  among  those 
who  looked  to  him  not  only  for  guidance,  but  also  for  comfort. 
The  entire  verse  is  lacking  in  the  original  Greek  version. 

^*  i.e.,  as  shepherds  of  the  flock.  The  line  has  been  ampli- 
fied to  read  "Whose  fathers  I  would  have  refused  to  set  with  the 
dogs  of  my  flock."  In  its  present  form,  the  line  has  five  beats — 
clearly  much  too  long. 

^°  i.e.,  their  jest.  Because  of  the  manifest  incongruity  of 
verses  2-8  with  v.  i,  the  editor,  who  felt  the  lack  of  sequence, 
repeated  at  the  beginning  of  the  9th  verse,  the  word  "now" 
with  which  chapter  30  begins. 

^^  Read  as  plural. 

^2  So  read  by  a  slight  change. 

^  So  read  by  a  slight  change  of  the  text. 

^The  text  as  it  stands  "the  ways  of  their  destruction" 
gives  no  satisfactory  sense.  I  suspect  "ways"  to  be  a  gloss  to 
"my  path"  in  v.  13;  and  the  remaining  word  to  designate 
"siegeworks"  or  the  like.  A  commentator  added  by  way  of 
explanation: 

"Headlong  they  send  me" — more  literally,  "they  upset 
my  feet." 

302 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

They  block  ( ?)  my  path, 

They  scale  ^^  my  bulwark  (?).^^ 

As  through  a  wide  breach  they  come; 

As  a  storm  they  roll  themselves  upon  me.^^ 

My  honor  is  chased  as  the  wind,  15 

And  my  welfare  passes  away  as  a  cloud. 

[30,  16-24 — part  of  Job's  speech  in  reply  to  Bil- 
dad's  third  speech,  above  p.  290.  For  verse  25,  to  be 
transferred  to  Job's  second  supplementary  speech, 
see  below  p.  306.] 

For  I  hoped  for  good,  but  evil  has  come,  30, 26 ' 

I  waited  for  light,  but  darkness  set  in. 

My  bowels  are  stirred,  without  rest; 

Days  of  affliction  have  overtaken  me. 

In  mourning  I  go  about  without  sunshine;^® 

I  have  joined  the  assembly  of  those  crying  for 
help.  90 

An  associate  to  jackals  have  I  become; 
[And]  a  companion  to  ostriches. ^^ 


^^  So  read  with  Ehrlich. 

^^The  text  reads  "my  being"  or  "my  calamity,"  but  the 
context  demands  a  suitable  parallelism  to  "path."  I  therefore 
suggest  a  term  like  "bulwark."  The  last  phrase,  "with  none 
restraining  them,"  (so  to  be  read  following  Ehrlich,  instead  of 
"no  helper  to  them  "which  is  nonsensical),  is  an  explanatory  gloss. 

^^  A  commentator  adds  "terror  is  turned  upon  me."  The 
line  is  missing  in  one  of  the  older  Greek  versions. 

^30,  26-31  close  of  the  reconstructed  supplementary 
speech  of  Job. 

^^  i.e.,  I  move  about  in  darkness — solitary. 

^°  i.e.,  I  have  joined,  as  it  were,  the  guild  of  the  helpless. 
So  Ehrlich's  explanation. 

^^  Jackals  and  ostriches  are  frequently  used  in  Biblical 
poetry  as  symbols  of  desolation  and  mourning. 

303 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

30         My  skin  has  become  black  upon  me, 
And  my  bones  are  burned  with  heat.^^ 
My  harp  is  turned  to  mourning, 
And  my  pipe  become  a  lament.®' 

B 

A  Second  Supplementary  Speech   of  Job^* — 
Reconstructed 

31, 1         A  covenant  I  made  with  my  eyes; 
8-^o-^i^r-         Never  to  have  a  thought  ^^  of  a  virgin. 
30,25^31,16^         [Verses  2-4  forming  the  beginning  of  Zophar's 
34;  3 1, 5-8  third  speech  above,  p.  293;  Verses  5-8  below,  p.  309.] 

Job  sets  forth 

his  virtues  ^  He  is  consumed  by  fever,  so  that  his  skin  is  parched,  and 

and  his  f]^^  marrow  of  his  bones  dried  out. 
^^all  sin^and  ^  Harp  and  pipe  are  usually  instruments  of  joy. 

temptation.  •*  Consisting  of  31,  I  and  9-34;  38-40,  together  with  30, 

25  which  has  slipped  into  a  wrong  place  (see  below,  p.  306). 
The  speech  consists  of  seven  sections  that  have  been  pieced 
together.  They  all  deal  with  the  same  thought — ^Job^s  virtuous 
life.  The  speech  betrays  its  composite  character  by  its  abrupt 
transition  from  virtues  of  private  life  to  those  bearing  on  public 
duties,  and  back  again  to  the  former.  We  obtain  a  more  orderly 
sequence  by  a  rearrangement  as  follows:  31,  i;  9-12;  38-40; 
13-15 ;  30, 25 ;  3 1,  16-34  ^^^  lastly  31,  5-8  which  forms  a  forcible 
climax.  I  adopt  this  rearrangement  with  all  the  less  hesitation 
because  I  am  convinced  that  chapter  31  is  not  of  one  piece  or  by 
a  single  author;  and  if  this  be  admitted,  a  rearrangement  of  the 
seven  sections  into  which  the  speech  falls  secures  a  logical 
instead  of  a  confusing  sequence.  In  the  case  of  a  composite 
production  a  confusion  of  sections  could  easily  take  place 
through  the  editor,  who  pieced  chapters  25  to  3 1  together  in 
the  interest  of  Jewish  orthodoxy,  as  above  p.  130  seq.  set  forth. 
Verses  3  5-3  7  of  this  chapter  must  be  detached  from  their  present 
position;  they  form  the  close  of  the  original  Book  of  Job  in  its 
enlarged  form.  See  above  at  the  conclusion  of  the  reconstructed 
speech  of  Job  in  reply  to  Bildad's  third  speech. 

^^  So  by  a  slight  change  of  the  text.    See  Matthew  5,  28. 
Verses  1-4  are  missing  in  the  original  Greek  version. 

304 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

If  my  mind^^  should  ever  be  enticed  unto  a  wo- 9 

man, 
Or  I  should  lie  in  wait  at  my  neighbor's  door;^' 
Might  my  wife  grind  for  another,  ^^  lo 

And  others  bend  over  her. 

For  that  ^^  were  incest  and  a  grievous  offense;^ 
Aye,  a  fire  consuming  unto  Abaddon.^ 
If  my  land  had  cried  out  against  me,  38-40 

And  its  furrows  wept  together; 
If  I  had  sapped  its  strength  without  paying  for  it, 
And  caused  the  tillers  thereof  to  be  disappointed  ;^ 
Let  thistles  grow  instead  of  wheat. 
And  cockle  instead  of  barley. 
If  I  had  ever  rejected  ^  my  servant's  claim,  13 

Or  that  of  my  maid  in  their  suit  against  me, 
What  could  I  do,  if  God  sought  revenge?^ 


^^  i,e.^  I  vowed  that  if  my  mind,  etc. 

^^  i.e.,  with  a  view  of  visiting  his  neighbor's  wife. 

^  An  allusion  to  sexual  intercourse,  as  the  parallelism  shows. 
This  line  is  missing  in  one  of  the  older  Greek  versions. 

^  i.e.,  the  mere  thought  of  seducing  a  woman. 

*  Read  as  in  v.  28  of  this  chapter.  The  text  has  a  super- 
fluous "it." 

2  One  of  the  names  of  the  nether  world  as  26, 6.  An  utterly 
destructive  fire  is  meant.  A  commentator  adds  a  superfluous  line: 

"Rooting  out  all  my  produce," 
which  is  clearly  a  misplaced  comment  to  v.  S^.    See  also  below, 

^  By  not  giving  them  their  full  pay.  So  Ehrlich's  inter- 
pretation, which  is  also  that  adopted  by  the  translators  of  the 
American  Jewish  Publication  Society. 

^  i.e.,  by  his  superior  station  had  secured  a  rejection  of  a 
just  claim  on  the  part  of  those  dependent  upon  him — an  easy 
matter  at  all  times. 

^  So  the  reading  according  to  the  Greek  text. 

20  305 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

What  could  I  answer,  if  He  held  me  to  account? 
IS  [Has  He  not  formed  him  in  the  womb  as  He  made 

me? 
And  did  He  not  fashion  her  in  the  same  womb?]^ 
30. 25 '         j-jf  J  Yisid  not  wept  for  the  unfortunate, 

And  if  my  soul  had  not  grieved  for  the  needy;] 
31, 16         jf  J  ]^^  J  g^gj.  refused  the  request  of  the  poor, 

And  turned  away  from  the  longing^  of  the  widow; 
'7         And  had  eaten  my  morsel  alone, 

And  the  orphan  had  not  shared  it  with  me;^ 
^9         If  I  had  ever  seen  a  homeless  ^°  without  a  garment, 

And  the  poor  without  a  covering; 
*°         If  his  loins  ^^  had  not  blessed  me. 

And  he  had  not  warmed  himself  with  the  fleece 

of  my  sheep; 
If  I  had  ever  lifted  my  hand  against  an  orphan, 


^The  banal  and  pietistic  reflection  is  almost  offensive. 
One  suspects  that  the  verse  may  be  a  later  insertion. 
'  Here  I  would  place  30,  25.    See  above,  p.  303. 

*  Literally:  "eyes,"  in  the  sense  of  what  one  longingly 
looks  at  and  hopes  to  obtain. 

*  Verse  18,  which  is  missing  in  the  original  Greek  version 
appears  to  be  an  insertion  on  the  part  of  an  excessively  pietistic 
commentator,  who  thought  it  necessary  to  assign  as  a  reason  for 
Job's  kindness  to  orphans  that  God  had  been  his  guardian. 

"For  He  reared  me  from  my  youth  as  a  father, 
And  from  my  mother's  womb  guided  me.'* 

The  two  lines  do  not  refer  as  is  assumed  in  the  ordinary  transla- 
tions to  the  orphan  but  to  Job.  The  subject  of  the  two  verbs 
is  God,  and  the  reading  of  the  second  verb  ("guide")  must  be 
slightly  changed  so  as  to  embody  the  suffix  of  the  first  person. 

^°  i.e.,  a  tramp. 

"  Namely,  the  loins  of  the  poor,  in  gratitude  for  having 
been  covered  by  the  benevolent  Job. 

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THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

Because  I  saw  my  support  in  the  gate;^^ 
Let  my  shoulder  fall  from  its  socket,  zz 

And  my  arm  be  broken  at  the  elbow. ^* 
If  I  had  made  gold  my  hope,^*  24 

And  to  pure  gold  said,  *'My  trust"; 
If  I  had  rejoiced  at  the  abundance  of  my  wealth,  25 
And  that  my  hand  had  gotten  much; 
If  I  had  looked  for  the  appearance  of  the  new 
moon,^^ 


^2  The  gate  is  the  place  of  the  tribunal.  The  thought  is  the 
same  as  above,  13-14,  against  taking  advantage  of  one's  influ- 
ence before  the  tribunal. 

^^  Verse  23 — only  partially  preserved  in  the  Greek  version — 
is  clearly  a  prose  addition  in  the  style  of  the  excessively  pietistic 
commentator: 

"For  a  terror  to  me  is  the  hand  of  God,  which  I  could  not  endure." 

Read  by  a  slight  change  "hand,"  instead  of  "calamity." 
^^  The  line  is  missing  in  the  original  Greek  version. 
^^  This  is  without  much  question  the  meaning  of  the  line. 
The  usual  translation  which  takes  the  word  "light"  {i.e.,  or)  to 
refer  to  the  sun  is  erroneous,  since  the  verb  which  follows  and 
which  refers  to  the  rejoicing  at  the  appearance  of  the  new  moon, 
clearly  shows  that  in  both  lines  the  moon  is  meant.  As  a  sur- 
vival of  primitive  moon-worship  Arabs  continue  to  this  day  to 
greet  the  new  moon  with  salutes  and  shouts  of  rejoicing.  (See 
Doughty,  Arabia  Deserta  I,  p.  166  and  319).  Similarly,  Ortho- 
dox Jews  still  have  special  prayers  at  the  time  of  new  moon. 
Job  is  here  represented  as  saying  that  he  was  careful  not  to 
yield  to  the  temptation  to  pay  obeisance  to  the  moon,  instead 
of  confining  his  worship  to  the  Supreme  Author  of  the  Universe. 
One  cannot  help  suspecting  that  verses  26-28  may  be  due  to  a 
later  commentator,  who  as  an  extremist  in  maintaining  Judaism 
pure  from  heathenish  associations,  regarded  the  custom  of 
saluting  the  new  moon  and  of  ceremonies  at  the  time  of  the 
full  moon  as  a  species  of  idolatry,  and  who  tried  his  hand  at 
enlarging  on  this  long  recital  of  all  the  sins  and  wrongs  from 
which  Job  kept  himself  free. 

307 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

And  for  the  coming  of  the  bright  moon;^^ 

And  had  secretly  been  enticed, ^^ 

To  kiss  my  hand  to  it; 

This  also  might  have  been  a  grievous  oifense; 

For  I  should  thereby  have  denied  God  on  high. 
29         If  I  had  rejoiced  at  the  destruction  of  my  hater, 

Or  exulted  when  evil  befell  him,^^ 
31         If  any  of  my  household  ^^  could  ever  say,^^ 

That  any  of  them  ^^  did  not  have  enough. ^2 

No  stranger  ever  lodged  outside; 

My  doors  were  e'er  open  to  the  traveller. 

If  silently  ^^  I  had  covered  my  transgressions, 

Hiding  my  iniquity  in  my  bosom; 


^^  Meaning  the  full  moon. 

^^  This  line  is  missing  in  the  original  Greek  version. 

^^  Verse  30  reading  (in  prose  form) : 

"I  did  not  permit  my  mouth  (literally:    "palate")  to  sin  by  asking  for 
his  life  from  God." 

is  again  to  be  taken  as  an  insertion  by  the  same  commentator 
who  finds  it  necessary  to  emphasize  the  description  of  all  that 
Job  did  not  do,  and  to  comment  upon  it  in  more  or  less  banal 
fashion.  Instead  of  "by  a  curse"  read  with  Ehrlich,  by  a 
different  vocalization,  "from  God."  This  simple  and  happy 
emendation  which  at  once  makes  the  point  clear  is  a  good  illus- 
tration of  Ehrlich's  skill  in  restoring  a  corrupt  and  obscure 
passage,  by  virtue  of  his  keen  penetration  into  the  genius  of  the 
Hebrew  language,  and  his  complete  grasp  of  the  vocabulary  and 
of  grammatical  niceties. 

^*  Literally,  the  "men  of  my  tent,"  meaning,  however,  as 
the  word  used  for  "men"  indicates,  the  menials. 

2°  Omit  "not,"  as  the  Greek  version  does. 

21  Literally,  "his  flesh." 

^  i.e.,  every  one  got  more  than  enough. 

^  So  read  with  Ehrlich,  by  a  slight  change  of  the  text, 
instead  of  the  meaningless  "like  a  man." 

308 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

Because  I  greatly  feared  the  inultitude,^* 
And  the  contempt  of  the  folk  ^^  affrighted  me;  ^^ 
[Verses  35-37  at  the  close  of  Job's  speech  in  reply- 
to  Bildad's  third  speech.  See  above  p.  292.] 

If  I  had  ever  followed  falseness,  s 

And  my  foot  had  hastened  to  deceit  ;2^ 

If  my  step  had  turned  out  of  the  [right]  path, 

And  my  mind  had  followed  after  my  eyes  \^^ 

Let  me  sow  and  another  eat; 

And  let  my  produce  be  rooted  out.^^ 

2^  x./f.,  for  fear  of  public  opinion. 

2^  Literally,"  families  " — here  used  as  a  synonym  for  populace. 

2® The  last  part  of  this  verse  "So  that  I  kept  quiet  and 
did  not  go  out  of  doors"  is  a  gloss — and  a  rather  superfluous 
one — to  amplify  the  fear  of  facing  those  who  might  suspect  him 
of  wrongdoing. 

^^  Verse  6  reading: 

"Let  Him  weigh  me  in  a  just  balance, 
That  God  may  know  my  integrity." 

is  again  an  inserted  exclamation  of  the  pietistic  commentator, 
who,  not  content  with  the  patronizing  tone  throughout  the 
chapter,  saw  fit  to  increase  it  still  further  by  insertions  that 
overstep  all  reasonable  bounds  of  self-appreciation. 

2^  i.e.,  followed  after  lust,  with  an  allusion  to  Numbers  15, 
39.  "Follow  not  after  your  minds  and  eyes."  A  superfluous 
line  follows: 

"If  any  blemish  clung  to  my  palms" 

which  is  either  a  comment  to  7*  or  is  half  of  a  distich  of  which 
the  other  half  is  lost. 

^To  this  the  superfluous  line  in  v.  12  (above) 

"rooting  out  all  my  produce" 

is  a  misplaced  comment. 


THE  SEARCH  FOR  WISDOM  ^o 

(Chapter  28) 

28, 1         There  '^  is  a  mine  for  silver, 
i-ii         And  a  place  for  gold  to  be  refined. 
f^ precious         I^on  is  taken  out  of  the  dust, 
metals  and         ^^d  copper  molten  out  of  the  rock.^2 
Man  sets  a  bound  to  darkness,^^ 
Penetrating  ^^  to  thick  gloom  and  dense  shadows. 
He  breaks  a  shaft  through  a  strange  people ;^^ 
Forgotten  of  men  they  grope  about  ;^^ 


^^  Chap.  28  is  an  entirely  independent  production,  with 
striking  analogies  to  the  glorification  of  wisdom  in  Proverbs, 
Chap.  8-9.  It  was  inserted  into  the  Book  of  Job  by  some  later 
editor  as  appropriate,  though  having  no  connection  with  the  prob- 
lem with  which  the  book  deals.    See  further  above,  p.  135  seq, 

^^  In  order  to  connect  the  chapter  with  what  precedes,  an 
editor  has  added  the  particle  "for." 

^2  Literally,  "stone,"  here  used  generically  for  any  hard 
substance — mineral  or  otherwise. 

^^  To  explain  this  somewhat  obscure  phrase  a  commentator 
has  added  "To  the  uttermost  bound  he  searches."  This  is 
omitted  in  the  original  Greek  version. 

^^  So  read  with  Ehrlich,  by  a  slight  change  of  the  text 
instead  of  "stone."  ^^ 

^^  So  read  by  a  different  vocalization  of  the  consonantal 
text.  The  mining  operation  which  the  author  has  in  mind  and 
with  which  he  is  so  familiar  refers  either  to  the  Sinaitic  Peninsula 
or — and  more  probably — to  the  Lebanon  region.  In  either  case, 
the  miners  could  be  spoken  of  as  a  foreign  people.  The  line  is 
missing  in  the  original  Greek  version. 

^^  The  verb  describes  those  who  grope  their  way  in  dark- 
ness or  totter  like  a  drunkard  .    A  commentator,  however,  refers 

310 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

[In  a  land  from  which  produce  ^^  grows,  s " 

But  which  undemeath^^  i§  stirred  up  by  fire;*° 

A  place  whose  stones  are  sapphire, 

And  where  dust  is  gold.] 

A  path  unknown  to  the  bird  of  prey. 

And  which  the  eye  of  the  falcon  has  not  seen  ;*^ 

Which  proud  beasts  have  not  trodden, 

Beyond  which  the  lion  has  not  passed. 

He  attacks^2  ^  flinty  rock; 

He  overturns  mountains  by  the  roots. ^^ 

He  breaks  light  shafts  *^  in  the  rocks;  lo 

And  his  eyes  see  precious  things. 

He  explores  *^  the  sources^^  of  the  streams ; 


the  verb  to  miners  and  adds,  byway  of  explanation,  "hanging 
of  foot,"  as  though  let  down  by  a  rope  Into  the  shaft. 

^^  Literally,  "bread"  in  the  general  sense  of  food. 

^Verses  5-9*  are  missing  in  the  original  Greek  version. 
Verses  5-6  clearly  Interrupt  the  context.  The  many  verses 
in  this  chapter  that  are  missing  In  the  original  Greek  version 
(4*;  5-9";  14-19;  21*';  22*;  27)  confirm  the  view  here  taken  of  the 
growth  of  the  chapter  by  subsequent  Insertions,  which  may 
represent  snatches  of  other  poems  in  celebration  of  wisdom. 

2^  !.<?.,  still  deeper  down. 

^°  Referring  to  the  hard  interior  with  Its  misshapen  masses 
of  rocks,  suggesting  a  tremendous  upheaval  as  by  the  eruption 
of  a  volcano.  In  contrast  to  the  softness  and  smoothness  of  the 
cultivated  soil  on  the  surface. 

^^  The  miners  pass  Into  regions  Inaccessible  even  to  strong 
birds,  accustomed  to  penetrate  into  the  clefts  of  rocks  that 
cannot  be  scaled  by  man. 

^  Literally:  "puts  forth  his  hand." 

^  i.e.,  blasting,  which  was  known  to  the  ancients.  See 
Pliny,  Hist.  Nat.  XXXIII,  21. 

^  So  read,  following  Ehrlich. 

^5  So  the  Greek  text. 

^^  So  the  Greek  text. 

311 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

And  what  was  hidden  is  brought  to  light. 
12-22         But  Wisdom  ^^  where  is  she  to  be  found? 
hidden  from         And  wherc  is  the  place  of  understanding? 


man. 


Man  knows  not  the  way  to  her;^^ 

Nor  is  she  to  be  found  in  the  land  of  the  living. 

The  Deep  ^^  says;  "she  is  not  in  me"; 

And  the  sea  says,  "not  with  me."  ^° 

[She  cannot  be  gotten  for  gold,  ^^ 

Nor  can  her  purchase  price  be  weighed  out  in 

silver. 
She  cannot  be  valued  with  gold  of  Ophir,  ^' 
Nor  with  the  precious  onyx  and  sapphire. 
Gold  and  glass  cannot  equal  her; 
Nor  are  vessels  of  gold  an  exchange  for  her. 
Corals  and  crystals  are  naught  beside  her;^* 
For  the  value  of  wisdom  is  above  pearls. 
The  Topaz  of  Cush^^  is  not  equal  to  her; 
She  cannot  be  valued  with  purest  fine  gold.] 


*'  Here  personified,  as  in  Proverbs  Chap.  8. 

^  So  the  Greek  text,  instead  of  "price."  By  a  change  in 
a  single  letter  of  the  Hebrew  text,  we  obtain  the  correct  reading. 

**  Tehom — the  personification  of  the  deep  as  in  Genesis  1,2. 

'**  i.e.,  neither  the  deep  nor  the  sea  possess  Wisdom.  The 
verse  is  missing  in  the  original  Greek  version. 

"Verses  15-19  are  missing  in  the  original  Greek  version, 
and  represent  a  later  insertion  based  on  Prov.  3,  14-15  and  8, 
ia-17. 

^2  A  strange  word  stands  in  the  Hebrew  text — perhaps  the 
name  of  a  special  kind  of  gold.  Siegfried  refers  to  I  Kgs.  6,  20, 
where  the  term  is  used  in  connection  with  gold. 

^ Ophir  (in  southern  Arabia.^)  was  famous  as  the  source 
of  the  finest  gold.    See  above  22,  24  and  I  Kings,  9,  28. 

^*  Literally:  "not  worth  mentioning." 

^®  i.e.,  Ethiopia. 

312 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

Wisdom, — ^whence  cometh  she?  20 

And  where  is  the  place  of  understanding? 

She  is  hid  from  the  eyes  of  the  living, 

And  concealed  from  the  bird  of  heaven, ^^ 

Abaddon  "  and  death  say: 

"Our  ears  have  heard  of  her."^^ 

God  knows  the  way  to  her;  23-28 

And  He  knows  her  place.  ^IfcZ"! 

For  He  encompasses  the  ends  of  the  world ; 

He  sees  all  under  heaven. 

When  He  gave  a  weight  ^^  for  the  wind,  25 

And  measured  out  the  waters; 

When  He  assigned  a  law  for  the  rain„ 

And  a  path  for  the  thunderbolt  ;^'^ 

Then  He  saw  her  and  proclaimed  her. 

Established  her,  aye  singled  her  out;^^ 

[And  said  in  regard  to  man : 

"Behold,  the  fear  of  Yahweh  ^^  is  wisdom; 

And  departing  from  evil  is  understanding."]^^ 

^®  The  line  is  missing  in  the  original  Greek  version. 

"Literally:  "Destruction"  here  as  26,  6,  and  31,  12,  a 
name  for  the  nether  world.  The  line  is  missing  in  the  original 
Greek  version  which  combines  verse  21 »  and  22**  into  one  distich. 

^^  But  we  have  never  seen  her. 

^^  i.e.,  force  and  power. 

^°  Verses  25-26  are  based  on  Prov.  8,  22-31. 

®^  Verse  27  is  missing  in  the  original  Greek  version. 

*^  So  the  original  reading  as  in  Prov.  I,  7,  changed  subse- 
quently to  Adonai  "Lord,"  though  many  mss.  retain  Yahweh. 

^^  As  shown  by  the  introductory  line,  verse  28  is  an  addition 
by  some  pious  commentator,  who  quotes  Prov.  I,  7  (a  saying 
similar  to  9,  10),  as  an  appropriate  close  to  the  chapter. 


VI 

FIRST  APPENDIX  TO  THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

The  Four  Speeches  of  Elihu  With  Three  Inserted  Poems 
(Chapters  32-37) 

A 
Introductions  to  the  First  Speech 

32, 1  w  (a)  And  these  three  men  ^^  ceased  answering  Job 

,.  17S  because  he  was  justified  in  their  eyes.^^ 

Fwe  editorial 

comments. 

^^  The  first  five  verses  ( in  prose)  consist  of  a  series  of  five 
editorial  comments,  each  of  independent  origin  and  rather  awk- 
wardly combined,  resulting  in  redundancy  and  in  some  confu- 
sion that  is  still  further  aggravated  by  later  glosses.  The  first 
comment  was  added  originally  to  the  close  of  the  book  which 
terminated — as  above,  p.  71  set  forth — in  its  first  draft  with 
chapter  2\  or  in  the  enlarged.one  with  3 1,  35-37,  as  the  close  of 
Job's  reply  to  Bildad  or  possibly  to  the  last  reply  to  Zophar. 

^^The  phrase  "these  three  men" — instead  of  "three- 
friends  "  (2, 11)  shows  that  the  editorial  comment  is  by  a  different 
hand  than  the  one  to  whom  we  owe  the  prose  introduction  to 
the  original  book.  The  reading  of  the  Greek  text  "his  three 
friends  ceased"  is  clearly  a  later  correction  to  conform  to  the 
usage  in  2,  ii. 

^^  The  reading  of  the  Greek  text  and  the  Syriac  version  and 
also  of  some  Hebrew  manuscripts  "in  their  eyes,"  instead  of 
"in  his  eyes,"  (as  the  received  text  has  it),  represents  the  ori- 
ginal wording,  which  in  this  form  would  constitute  an  intelligible 
comment  on  the  part  of  a  reader  or  commentator  who  sym- 
pathized with  the  point  of  view  set  forth  by  the  compiler  of  the 
speeches  of  Job  and  of  the  three  friends  in  their  earliest  form. 
The  comment  thus  incidentally  furnishes  a  proof  that  the  origi- 
nal purpose  of  the  Book  of  Job  was  to  show  the  untenability  of 

314 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

(b)  And  the  anger  of  Elihu,  the  son  of  Barachel, 
the  Buzite  ^^  of  the  family  of  Ram^^  was  kindled/^ 
because  he  (i.^.,  Job)  regarded  himself  justified  as 
against  God.^^ 

(c)  And  against  his  three  friends  ^^  was  his  anger 
kindled,  because  they^could  not  find  an  answer. 


72 


the  conventional  view  that  only  the  wicked  suffer  in  this  world, 
and  that  the  good  enjoy  the  blessings  of  God  as  long  as  they  live. 
The  second  comment  (v.  2)  protesting  against  the  assumption 
that  Job  was  justified,  betrays  on  the  other  hand  the  spirit  of  the 
orthodox  opponents  to  the  original  book,  and  emanates,  there- 
fore, from  an  editor  who  regarded  Elihu  as  the  triumphant 
champion  of  the  rule  of  Divine  justice  in  this  world.  Another 
editor  found  it  necessary  to  state  (v.  3)  that  Elihu  was  also 
angry  at  the  three  friends  because  they  found  no  answer.  The 
fourth  comment  (v.  4)  is  the  remark  of  a  pedantic  commentator 
who,  regarding  the  book  in  its  final  form  as  a  unit,  naively  as- 
sumes that  Elihu  was  present  during  the  Symposium  between 
Job  and  his  friends,  and  thinks  it  necessary  to  explain  why 
Elihu  hitherto  had  not  been  introduced  to  the  reader.  Finally 
the  fifth  comment  (v.  5)  may  represent  the  original  introduc- 
tion, added  with  a  view  of  connecting  the  appendix  with  the  origi- 
nal book. 

*^  Buz  is  mentioned  in  Jer.  25,  23  with  Dedan  and  Tema  in 
northern  Arabia.  The  Prophet  Ezekiel  (1,3)  waslikewise  a  Buzite. 

68  Occuring  Gen.  22  21.  The  Greek  text  adds  "of  the  land 
ofUz." 

6^  A  pedantic  glossator  adds:  "against  Job  his  anger  was 
kindled." 

^0  The  word  "  as  against  God  "  (or  ''  rather  than  God  ")  may 
be  a  gloss  subsequently  added. 

^The  phrase  "his  three  friends"  as  against  "these  three 
men"  in  v.  I,  shows  that  the  comment  in  v.  3  is  from  a  different 
source. 

^2  A  glossator  has  added  "  so  that  they  might  show  Job  to 
be  in  the  wrong,"  which  translation  is  preferable  to  the  one 
found  in  the  AV  and  its  successors:  "and  yet  had  con- 
demned Job." 

31S 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

(d)  But  Elihu  held  back  ^^  while  they  were  speak- 
ing/* because  they  were  older  than  he. 
5  (e)  And  Elihu  saw  that  there  was  no  answer  in 

the  mouth  of  these  three  men.^^ 

B 

The  First  Speech  of  Elihu 

32,6         [Then  Elihu,  the  son  of  Barachel,  the  Buzite,  in 
^n^//r  answer  said:'«] 
series  of         (a)  Young  am  I,  in  years, 

introductions.  k       ^  1   ,, 

And  you  are  aged;^^ 

Therefore  I  held  back  and  feared, 


73  Or  "waited."  The  text  has  an  Insertion  "Job"  after  the 
verb,  probably  a  gloss  to  "himself"  in  v.  2,  and  which  has  crept 
in  at  a  wrong  place. 

'^^So  read  by  a  different  vocalization  of  the  consonantal  text. 

^^  A  glossator  in  order  to  connect  this  independent  (and 
probably  original)  introduction  to  the  speeches  of  Elihu  with  the 
previous  comments  added:  "And  his  anger  was  kindled"  the 
superfluity  of  which  is  self-evident.  The  verse  is  missing  in  the 
original  Greek  version. 

^^  Verse  6*  is  an  editorial  addition  to  make  the  introduc- 
tory phrase  correspond  to  the  conventional  one  used  in  the  case 
of  the  speeches  of  Job  and  his  three  friends.  Chapter  32,  6-22, 
is  entirely  taken  up  with  the  preliminaries  to  Elihu's  speech. 
It  consists  of  (i)  the  editorial  connecting  link  (v.  6^),  (2)  two 
mdependent  introductions  running  parallel  to  one  another 
(a)  6^-10=  (b)  11-17,  likewise  with  explanatory  comments, 
and  (c)  an  ironical  addition  (18-22),  made  by  a  commentator 
who  did  not  think  much  of  Elihu's  argument  and  sought  to 
make  him  appear  ridiculous  by  representing  him  as  bursting 
with  an  irresistible  desire  to  relieve  his  mind,  and  as  determined 
to  express  his  views  at  all  hazards.  A  fourth  introduction  in 
imitation  of  the  third  is  found  33,  2-7  and  a  fifth  one  has  slipped 
in  at  the  close  of  chapter  33,  31-33.    See  below  p.  323. 

"  The  line  lacks  a  word  to  make  up  three  beats.  Perhaps 
"very"  has  dropped  out. 

316 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

To  declare  my  opinion  to  you. 
I  thought,  let  the  aged  ^^  speak, 
And  those  of  many  years  teach  wisdom. 
However,  it  is  the  spirit  in  man. 
And  the  breath  of  Shaddai  that  gives  under- 
standing. 
Grey  beards  are  not  [always]  wise; 
Nor  do  the  old  [always]  have  discernment.^^ 
Therefore,  I  say;  "listen  to  me;  lo 

Let  me  also  declare  my  opinion. " 

(b)  [I  waited,^^  forsooth,  for  your  words;  "-'7' 


^^  Literally,  "days,"  meaning  those  of  many  days. 

^*  Cf.  the  note  to  12,  12. 

®°  To  this  word  "  I  waited  "  there  is  added  a  comment  (v.  16) 
"I  waited,"  i.e.,  "because  they  did  not  speak,  for  they  stood 
there  without  answering  further. "  According  to  this  commenta- 
tor, the  words  "  I  waited  "  mean  that  Elihu  waited  for  the  three 
men  to  answer.  The  verse  is  missing  in  the  original  Greek  version. 

^^  Verses  11-17  represent  another  and  entirely  independent 
draft  of  an  introduction  to  Elihu's  speech,  and  form  a  parallel 
to  verses  6-10. 

We  have  a  similar  combination  of  several  drafts  in  the  ora- 
tions of  Ezekiel.  In  chapter  i,  verses  15-21  form  a  variant 
description  of  the  prophet's  vision  verses  1-14,  while  in 
chapter  8  we  have  a  third  description  and  in  chapter  10  a 
fourth,  the  latter  running  closely  parallel  to  i,  15-21.  Again 
in  the  message  revealed  to  Ezekiel  in  the  vision,  we  can  detect 
several  drafts  that  have  been  combined.  Thus  in  chapter  2, 
verses  G-j  are  clearly  parallel  to  3-5,  just  as  8-10  are  paralleled  by 
3,  1-3.  There  are  thus  four  independent  introductions  to  which 
we  may  add  two  more  (a)  3,  4-9  and  (b)  3,  lo-ii.  It  is  only  by 
thus  assuming  a  series  of  independent  drafts,  combined  by  a 
conscientious  editor  who  wished  to  preserve  all  the  material  that 
had  come  down  to  him,  that  we  can  get  order  out  of  the  frightful 
confusion  in  the  present  combination  of  this  material  in  the  Book 
of  Ezekiel.    Such  imperfect  methods  of  editing  are  natural  at  a 

317 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

To  your  arguments  I  listened. 

While  you  carefully  selected  words,^^ 

I  reflected  about  you. 

And  ^^  there  was  none  that  convinced  Job; 

None  that  could  answer  his  points.^* 

Beware  lest  you  say,  ^'we  have  wisdom ;^^ 

Let  God  refute  him — ^not  man. " 
14         Since  words  he  has  not  measured  with  me,^^ 

I  shall  not  answer  like  your  speeches.^^ 
17         Let  me  now  present  my  argument ;^^ 

Let  me  declare  my  opinion. ^^] 

time  when  literary  composition  in  the  proper  sense  was  regarded 
as  secondary  as  against  the  zeal  of  editors  to  preserve  all  re- 
cords— however  fragmentary  or  imperfect — that  lay  before  them. 

**The  line,  as  well  as  the  whole  of  verse  12,  is  missing  in 
the  original  Greek  version. 

8^  A  glossator  adds  "behold." 

^  Literally,  "  his  words. "  To  this  we  again  have  a  comment 
in  v.  15  (missing  in  the  original  Greek  version), 

"They  were  [so]  startled  that  they  could  not  find  any  answer, 
Words  failed  them." 

^^  Elihu  warns  the  friends  against  seeking  to  excuse  their 
failure  by  putting  the  task  of  answering  on  God,  saying  "Let  God 
doit.    We  give  it  up.'* 

^^  Or,  by  following  in  part  the  Greek  version  and  changing 
the  person  of  the  verb,  we  may  obtain  "I  will  not  set  forth  such 
words  as  these. "  So  Gray  in  the  American  Journal  of  Semitic 
Languages,  Vol.  36,  p.  102. 

^'^  So  by  a  slight  change.  Verses  15-16,  (missing  in  the  origi- 
nal Greek  version)  are  glosses  to  v.  12  and  to  v.  11,  respectively, 
as  indicated  above  notes  80  and  84. 

^  More  literally  "doctrine."  So  read  instead  of  "my  por- 
tion," by  a  transposition  of  the  consonants  of  the  word  in  the 
text,  as  suggested  by  Ehrlich. 

^^  Verse  17  is  clearly  a  parallel  to  v.  10,  to  mark  the  close 
of  the  first  introductory  draft. 

318 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

(c)  [For  I  am  full  of  words  ;^° 

The  spirit  within  me  constrains  me. 

Indeed,  my  inside  is  as  wine  without  outlet, 

That  even  in  new  wine-skins  is  ready  to  burst,  ^^ 

Let  me  speak  that  I  may  find  relief;  20 

Let  me  open  my  lips  to  give  answer. 

Without  regard  to  any  man's  feelings, 

Without  evasion,  because  of  any  one; 

For  I  know  not  how  to  evade. 

E'en  though  my  Maker  might  forgive  me.  ^2] 

Now  listen.  Job  to  my  speech,  ^^  33,1 


^°  Verses  18-22  must  be  looked  upon  as  an  ironical  ampli- 
fication of  the  introduction  to  Elihu's  speech,  added  by  some  one 
who  sympathized  with  the  spirit  of  the  original  Book  of  Job  that 
ended  in  a  non  sequitur,  and  who  aimed  to  hold  up  Elihu  to  ridi- 
cule, as  one  who  talks  merely  to  relieve  his  mind.  What  he  says 
would,  according  to  this  commentator,  be  mere  escaping  gas, 
"words  full  of  sound  and  fury,  signifying  nothing." 

®i  Matthew  9,  17. 

'2  This  is  clearly  the  sense  of  the  concluding  line,  not  that 
God  would  "soon  take  me  away,"  as  usually  rendered. 

^^  Verses  2-7  represent  a  second  insertion  on  the  part  of  the 
ironical  commentator  who  added,  3  2, 18-22,  with  a  view  of  further 
emphasizing  the  empty  boasts  of  Elihu  and  his  "big"  talk  which 
issues  in  banalities. 

[Behold,  I  open  my  mouth; 
My  tongue  utters  what  is  in  my  bosom. 
My  words  [reflect]  the  frankness  of  my  mind; 
And  what  my  lips  speak  is  sincerity  itself. 
The  spirit  of  God  has  made  me, 
And  the  breath  of  Shaddai  has  given  me  life, 
If  thou  canst,  then  refute  me, 
Array  yourself  and  stand  before  me. 
I  am  like  you  in  relation  to  God; 
Out  of  clay,  I  too,  have  been  formed. 
Let  terror  of  me  not  startle  thee; 
And  my  authority  (?)  not  weigh  upon  thee.] 

The  irony  is  delicious,  especially  when  one  considers  that  in  the 
two  introductions  in  chapter  32,  Elihu  is  represented  as  young 

319 


tHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 


8-1 1 

Job^s  claim 

to  innocence. 


12-22 

God  sends 

warnings  to 

man  through 

visions  and 

tribulations. 


And  hearken  to  all  my  words/* 

For  thou  hast  said  in  my  hearing;^^ 

And  I  heard  the  sound  of  the  words :        '^ 

''I  am  pure,  without  transgression, 

Guiltless  (?),  without  iniquity  in  me;^^ 

But  He  devises  occasions  ^^  against  me, 

As  His  enemy  He  counts  me. 

He  puts  my  feet  in  the  stocks; 

He  keeps  watch  over  all  my  steps.  "^^ 

Now  to  this  I  answer,  thou  art  not  right; 

[In  supposing]  God  too  severe  towards  man. 

Why  dost  thou  contend  ^^  against  Him, 

Because  He  answers  not  all  thy  ^  words  ? 

For  God  does  answer^  once. 

And  even  twice  without  one's  regarding  it;' 


and  mbdest.  At  the  end  of  v.  2  we  must  read  by  a  slight  change 
"in  my  bosom"  (so  Ehrlich)  instead  of  "in  my  palate."  In  v.  3 
the  word  "  knowledge"  is  a  gloss  to  "my  words."  In  v.  5  the  last 
word  "stand  forth"  is  a  variant  or  comment  to  "array  thyself 
before  me."  In  v.  6,  instead  of  "as  thy  mouth,"  we  must  read 
by  a  slight  change  of  the  text "  like  thee. "  Verse  4  harks  back  to 
32,  8.     See  above,  p.  316,  note  76. 

^  The  Greek  text  omits  the  word  "all,"  found  in  the  He- 
brew, while  in  the  original  Greek  version  the  entire  line  is  missing. 

®^  The  line  is  omitted  in  the  original  Greek  version. 

^^  Alluding  to  Job's  utterances  as  e.g.^  9,  21;  10,  7;  16,  17; 
23,  10-12.  The  Hebrew  text  has  a  superfluous  "I"  and  a  cor- 
rupted synonym  to  "pure,"  which  must  have  emphasized  Job's 
innocence. 

^7  i.  e.  He  frames  up  charges  against  me. 

®^  As  one  closely  watches  a  prisoner, — a  direct  quotation 
from   13,  27. 

^Note  again  the  legal  phraseology  as  in  Job's  speeches. 

^  So  read  by  a  slight  change. 

2  i.e.^  responds  to  the  summons. 

^  The  line  is  missing  in  the  Greek  version. 
32Q 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

In  a  dream  (and)  in  a  night  vision;*  15 

In  slumbering  upon  one's  couch, 

He  opens  the  ears  of  men, 

And  startles  them  with  suiferings.^ 

To  lead  man  away  from  his  deeds,  **  17 

And  to  remove  ^  pride  from  man.^ 

He  is  chastened  by  pain  on  his  couch,  19 

And  by  the  enduring  torture  of  his  bones;® 

So  that  his  life  has  distaste  for  food,  ao 

And  his  soul,  for  the  daintiest  bit.^° 

His  flesh  is  consumed  beyond  recognition;" 

And  his  bones  corroded  ^^  to  unsightliness. 

And  his  soul  is  brought  near  to  the  pit, 

And  his  life  to  the  slain. ^^ 

Yet,  if  there  be  an  intercessor,^*  23-26 

Intercession 
and  Relief. 

^  A  gloss  (omitted  in  the  original  Greek  version,  as  also 
16*),  with  an  allusion  to  Gen.  2,  21  adds  "when  deep  sleep  falls 
on  man."  God  speaks  to  man  in  this  way  without  his  know- 
ing it. 

^  i.e.,  nightmares. 

^  So  by  a  slight  change  in  the  text,  supported  by  the  Greek 
translation. 

^  So  by  a  slight  change  in  one  letter  of  the  text. 

^  Verse  18  is  a  misplaced  comment  to  v.  28.    See  below. 

^  So  by  a  slight  change  in  the  text.  The  line  is  missing  in 
the  original  Greek  version. 

^®  This  line  is  likewise  omitted  in  the  original  Greek  version. 

*^  More  literally,  "from  being  seen." 

^2  More  literally,  "  scraped  bare. "  I  follow  the  rendering  of 
the  American  Jewish  Publication  Society. 

^^  So  read  by  a  different  vocalization  of  the  consonants. 

^^  A  commentator  adds  "angel"  to  suggest  the  kind  of  in^ 
tercessor  meant.  The  Targum  renders  by  the  Greek  parakletos 
"comforter,"  used  in  the  theological  sense  of  "Holy  Spirit." 
Then  follows  a  comment  "one  in  a  thousand"  (like  9,  13),  which 

21  321 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

To  testify  to  a  man's  righteousness; 
Then  He  graciously  says:  "release  him,-^ 
For  I  have  found  a  ransom  ^^  [for  his  soul."] 
25         His  body  ^^  becomes  softer  than  a  child's;         ^ 
He  returns  to  the  days  of  his  youth. 
He  prays  unto  God,  who  is  gracious  to  him;^^ 
And  who  restores  to  a  man  his  right.^^ 
27-30         He^o  steps  before  men  and  says: 

Confession  '' 

and 
Redemption,  jg  gitj^gj.  out  of  place,  or  is  added  to  suggest  that  intercession 
rarely  takes  place.     If  this  be  correct,  the  addition  must  have 
been  made  by  a  skeptical  reader. 

^^  A  commentator  adds:  "from  going  down  into  the  pit" 
(suggested  by  v.  28^)  which,  however,  makes  the  line  too  long. 
One  of  the  Greek  versions  has  a  further  addition. 

"He  renewed  his  body  like  mortar  on  a  wall, 
And  filled  the  marrow  of  his  bones." 

^^  Namely  the  good  deeds  formerly  done  by  the  sinner,  in 
accordance  with  the  testimony  borne  by  the  Intercessor.  The 
point  of  view  is  pithily  expressed  in  the  maxim,  "Righteousness 
saves  from  death"  (Prov.  10,  2  and  11,  4).  The  line  is  too  short 
by  one  beat.  Perhaps  a  word  like  the  one  suggested  in  the  trans- 
lation has  dropped  out.  The  Greek  version  shows  that  something 
has  happened  to  the  text  at  this  point.  See  Beer,  Text  des  Buches 
Hiob,  p.  212. 

^^  Literally:  "his  flesh. "  Similarly  in  the  Babylonian  tale 
of  the  suffering  king  (above,  p.  37)  we  read  in  the  description  of 
his  restoration  to  health 

"He  restored  my  form  to  complete  strength" 
Qastrow,  Journal  of  Biblical  Literature^  Vol.  25,  p.  179.)    All  the 
ravages  of  disease  and  suffering  had  disappeared. 

1^  A  superfluous  line  reading: 

"And  looks  with  joy  upon  him," 
is  to  be  regarded  as  a  comment  or  variant  to  "who  is  gracious  to 
him." 

1^  i.e.,  the  place  due  to  the  righteous  man. 

20  i.e.,  the  man  restored  to  his  position  through  Divine  grace. 

$22 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

"  I  sinned  and  perverted  the  right,^! 

But  He  redeemed  me  from  passing  to  the  pit,^^ 

And  my  Hfe  to  enjoy  the  light." 

[Behold  all  this  God  does, 

Twice  and  thrice  with  a  man;^^ 

To  keep  his  soul  from  the  pit,  30 

To  enjoy  light  in  the  land  of  the  living.  1^^ 


21 A  pedantic  commentator  adds,  "but  He  did  not  do  the 
same  to  me,"  i.e.^  God  did  not  punish  me  as  I  deserved.  The 
ordinary  translation  of  this  addition:  "And  it  profited  me  not" 
is  entirely  astray. 

2^  To  this  28th  verse,  a  commentator  to  make  still  clearer 
what  was  meant,  added  v.  18,  (which  got  into  the  text  at  the 
wrong  place) 

"He  kept  his  soul  from  the  pit 
And  his  life  from  passing  into  oblivion  (?)." 

The  last  word  of  the  couplet  is  obscure  (see  36,  12),  but  the 
context  demands  a  parallel  term  to  the  nether  world. 

^  i.e.,  God  gives  man  two  and  even  three  chances  to  pro- 
long his  days  by  a  return  to  a  virtuous  life. 

2'*  I  follow  Ehrlich's  emendation  of  the  text.  The  two 
verses  (29-30)  are  omitted  in  the  original  Greek  version;  they 
hark  back  to  v.  14,  and  probably  represent  a  later  addition.  The 
closing  three  verses  of  the  chapter  (31-33)  are  clearly  again  a 
variant  form  of  the  introduction,  chapter  33,  2-7.  They  evi- 
dently belong  at  the  beginning  and  not  at  the  end  of  a  discourse. 
The  editor  who  came  across  them  may  have  put  them  on  the 
margin,  whence  they  were  inserted  by  a  copyist  as  a  supplement. 
The  three  verses  (with  the  exception  of  the  first  line)  are  missing 
in  the  original  Greek  version — a  further  indication  of  their  sup- 
plementary character.    They  read  as  follows: 

"Give  heed,  Job,  hearken  to  me; 
Keep  silent,  while  I  speak. 
If  thou  hast  anything  to  say,  answer  me* 
Speak,  for  I  desire  thy  justification 
If  not,  hearken  thou  to  me, 
And  be  silent,  while  I  teach  thee, wisdom.'* 

323 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 


Second  Speech  of  Elihu  ^^ 
3+'  ^         [Then  EHhu  in  answer  said:]^^ 
lntroduJ2         Hear  my  words,  you  wise  men. 

Listen  to  me,  you  that  have  knowledge. ^^ 
[For  the  ear  is  there  to  test  words, 
As  the  palate  to  taste  food.]^^ 
[Let  us  choose  the  right  for  ourselves; 
Let  us  ascertain  among  us  what  is  good.]^^ 
5         Now  Job  says;  "I  am  innocent, 

2^  Chapter  34.  Into  this  speech  an  entirely  independent 
fragment,  beginning  with  a  special  introduction  (v.  16),  has  been 
dovetailed  with  the  result  of  creating  a  painful  confusion  in  the 
sequence  of  the  thought.  This  fragment,  consisting  of  verses  1 6- 
20;  23-27  and  30,  deals  with  a  theme  entirely  foreign  to  Elihu's 
second  speech.  Elihu  makes  the  point  that  Job  places  himself  on 
a  plane  with  the  wicked  in  accusing  God  of  injustice.  Instead, 
Job  ought  to  humbly  submit  and  throw  himself  on  the  mercy  of 
God.  The  inserted  fragment,  on  the  other  hand,  treats  of  God's 
indifference  to  the  rank  of  sinners  and  illustrates  this  thought  by 
detailing  how  He  deals  with  kings  and  nobles  who  have  abused 
their  position.  The  manner  of  dovetailing  is  quite  in  keeping 
with  the  method  of  composition  which  we  find  in  the  Pentateuchal 
Codes  and  in  the  Historical  Books  of  the  Old  Testament.  See 
A  Gentle  Cynic ,  p.  109  seq. 

2^  Clearly  an  editorial  addition,  (like  32,  6")  since  Job  does 
not  answer  Elihu,  and  the  second  speech  is  not  even  addressed 
to  Job.  It  is  an  independent  composition  by  some  one  who  tried 
his  hand  at  the  conundrum  propounded  by  Job.  A  later  editor 
put  the  speech  into  the  mouth  of  Elihu. 

27 The  form  of  address,  "Hear" "Listen"  is  clearly 

based  upon  the  usage  of  the  prophets,  for  example,  Isaiah  1,1, 
just  as  the  late  poem  inserted  at  the  close  of  Deuteronomy 
(chapter  32)  follows  this  usage. 

2^  Quoted  from  12,  11,  and  missing  in  the  original  Greek 
version. 

2*  This  fourth  verse  is  missing  in  the  original  Greek  version. 

324 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

But  God  has  taken  away  my  right.^^  5-12. 

Despite  my  being  right,  I  suffer  ;2^  supume 

Without  transgression,  my  wound^^  is  mortal.  "^^•^"•^'• 

Was  there  ever  a  man  like  Job, 

Drinking  in  scorn  like  water  P^*"* 

He  has  joined  the  company  of  evildoers,  8 

To  walk  with  the  wicked.^* 

Far  be  it  from  God  to  be  wicked ;  lob 

From  Shaddai  to  [commit]  iniquity.^^ 

For  the  work  of  man  He  requites; 

According  to  a  man's  way,  it  happens  to  him. 

[Surely,  God  does  not  act  wickedly. 

And  Shaddai  does  not  pervert  judgment.]^^ 


^°  Literally,  "judgment,"  meaning  Job's  just  cause — 
quoted  from  27,  2. 

^^  So  read  by  a  slight  change  of  the  text. 

^^  Literally,  "My  arrow,"  i.e.^  the  arrow  within  me.  Cf. 
Job  6, 4  where  Job  speaks  of  the  arrows  of  God  that  are  In  him. 
The  line  Is  missing  In  the  orlgmal  Greek  version. 

^  Taken  from  15,  16  (Ellphaz).  The  verse  is  missing  in  the 
original  Greek  version. 

^^  Literally,  "men  of  wickedness."  The  following  verse 
(v.  9)  is  superfluous  and  shows  by  the  lack  of  the  parallelism  to 
be  a  prose  comment  on  the  part  of  some  one  who  thought  it  nec- 
essary to  repeat  the  substance  of  verses  5-6.    The  verse  reads : 

"When  he  says  that  man  profits  naught  by  seeking  favor  with  God." 

The  word  translated  "profit"  is  indicative  of  later  usage. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  tenth  verse  there  is  an  insertion, 

"Therefore,  hearken  unto  me,  you  men  of  understanding," 

which  Is  probably  a  misplaced  comment,  or  a  variant  to  v.  2*. 

^^  The  line  is  too  short.  A  verb  as  suggested  in  the  trans- 
lation needs  to  be  inserted. 

^^Practically  a  repetition  of  V.  10  and  perhaps  a  variant  verse. 

32s 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

13-15.  21  and         To  whom  has  He  given  charge  o'er  the  earth  ? 
God's  mern-         And  to  whom  has  He  assigned  any  part  of  the 

ful  control.  WO  rid  ?^  ^ 

Should  He  resolve  to  withdraw  His  spirit, 

And  to  take  back  His  breath  ;^^ 
15         All  flesh  would  forthwith  perish, 

And  man  would  again  become  dust.^^ 

[16-20 — the  inserted  poem  on  "The  Punishment 
of  Unworthy  Rulers"  below,  p.  335.] 
21         For  His  eyes  are  upon  the  ways  of  man. 

And  He  sees  all  his  steps. ^° 

[23-27,  part  of  the  inserted  poem,  below,  p.  335-] 
28         He  brings  ^^  before  Him  the  cry  of  the  humble. 

And  He  hears  the  cry  of  the  afflicted. 
^9         But  if  He  is  silent,  who  can  condemn  [Him]  ? 

If  He  hides  His  face,  who  can  challenge  Him  .^^^ 


''^  God  rules  the  world  by  Himself  and  in  His  own  way. 

'^z.^.,"the  breath  of  life"  which  God  breathed  into  man, 
according  to  Genesis  2,  7. 

^®  An  allusion  to  Genesis  3,  19.  At  this  point  the  fragment 
(16-20;  23-27;  30  see  above,  p. 80),  dealing  with  God's  indiffer- 
ence to  the  high  rank  of  rulers  and  how  He  overthrows  them 
when  they  merit  it,  is  introduced.  For  the  translation,  see  below 

p.  335 

^°  Verse  22,  prosaic  in  form,  adds  by  way  of  comment, 
**There  is  no  darkness  nor  dense  shadow  in  which  the  evildoers 
(same  expression  as  in  v.  8)  can  hide  themselves. "  Verses  23-27 
form  part  of  the  insertion. 

^^  The  form  of  the  verb  has  been  changed  by  the  editor  who 
dovetailed  the  two  compositions  into  one  another. 

^The  original  Greek  version  omits  verses  28-33.  A 
glossator,  realizing  the  confusing  transition  in  the  second  part  of 
the  chapter  from  people  in  general  to  the  individual  and  back 
again  to  the  group  adds,  "for  a  people  and  for  an  individual 
alike,"  to  indicate  the  two-fold  application  of  the  utterances. 

326 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

To  God  one  should  say:  "Ibearit,^^  31 

I  will  not  [again]  be  an  offense  [to  Thee]/^  31-33 

Since  I  cannot  see,  O  teach  me;  not  Defiance 

If  I  have  done  wrong,  let  me  not  do  it  again/^      'o/man'^'^^'^ 

For  Thou  choosest — not  I; 

And  what  Thou  knowest,  speak."^^ 

Men  of  understanding  will  agree  with  me,^^  34-37 

.       -  .  11  Condemna- 

And  every  wise  man  who  hears  me;  Hon  of  job. 

That  Job  speaks  without  knowledge,  35 
And  that  his  words  are  devoid  of  wisdom. 

Job  should  be  tried  continuously,^^  36* 


The  gloss  may  have  originally  been  Intended  more  specifically 
for  V.  2i'  "For  His  eyes  are  on  the  ways  of  man."  Verse  30 
closes  the  inserted  poem. 

^  Or  perhaps  the  verb  is  to  be  taken  In  the  sense  of,  "  I  have 
been  overbearing." 

^  The  line  Is  too  short  by  two  beats.  Some  such  words  as 
suggested  In  the  translation  need  to  be  supplied. 

*^At  the  beginning  of  v.  33  are  two  glosses  (a)  "Shall  one 
requite  one  according  to  thy  idea" — apparently  a  rhetorical  ex- 
clamation on  the  part  of  some  pious  commentator,  who  took  v. 
31  in  the  sense  of  a  defiance  of  God,  translating  as  the  Jewish 
tradition  would  have  It,  "  I  have  borne  It,  though  I  offend  not. " 

(b)  "For  Thou  hast  rejected" — a  comment  to  "For Thou 
choosest" — to  explain  that  God's  choice  ?.^.,  His  "decision"  has 
been  the  rejection  of  Job's  claim. 

^^  i.e.,  Instruct  me  out  of  the  abundance  of  Thy  knowledge. 

*^  Literally :    "  say  unto  me. " 

^^  This  the  sense  demanded  by  the  context.  The  first  word 
of  the  verse  is  a  corruption  of  the  name  Job  and  belongs  after 
"answers"  In  the  gloss  that  follows  upon  this  line. 

A  glossator  adds  "because  of  the  answers  [of  Job]  after  the 
manner  of  iniquitous  men. "  The  Greek  version  tries  to  soften 
the  severe  condemnation  of  Job  by  rendering  "Be  admonished, 
OJob." 

327 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

37         Because  to  his  sin  he  adds  blasphemy/^ 
Among  us  he  claps,  [his  palms]  ;^*^ 
And  he  multiplies  his  words  against  God. 

D 

Fragment  or  Draft  of  a  Third  Speech  of  Elihu^^ 
35, 1  [And  Elihu  in  answer  said:]^^ 

1-16         Dost  thou  think  this  to  be  just,^^ 
and sin7ffect         That  thou  saycst,  "My  case^^  against  God's?" 
man-notGod         Arguingi^s  "What  is  it  to  Thee? 

What  profit  hast  Thou^^  from  my  sin?"" 

^^This  the  force  of  the  word  (literally)  "transgression"  in 
this  connection. 

^"  i.e.,  shows  his  contempt  for  us.  The  line  is  too  short  by 
one  beat.  The  addition  "  his  palms  "  (like  27,  23)  is  suggested  by 
Budde,  Hioh.,  p.  222. 

^^  The  fragment  consists  of  sixteen  verses  only;  and  of  these 
four  entire  verses  (8-9;  15-16)  and  parts  of  three  others  (7^,  10% 
12*.)  are  missing  in  the  original  Greek  version,  leaving  only  nine 
and  a  half — clearly  a  mere  draft  of  some  speech.  It  deals  with 
Job's  assertion  of  his  innocence  and  attempts  to  find  an  answer 
by  suggesting  that  God  should  not  be  held  to  be  responsible  for 
suffering  that  comes  through  the  deeds  of  men, — a  strange 
argument  indeed,  that  entirely  begs  the  question. 

^2  Again  an  editorial  link,  like  32,  6  and  at  the  beginning  of 
chapter  34. 

^^  Literally,  "judgment." 

^*  Literally,  "my  right"  in  the  sense  of  claim  or  case.  Job 
says:  "I'll  stake  my  case  against  anything  that  God  may  bring 
forward  in  answer."    Cf.  9,  21. 

^^  Literally:  "When  thou-sayest,"  i.e.,  in  further  argument. 

^^Text  says,  "have  I"  but  this  is  clearly  an  error,  or  an 
intentional  change  to  avoid  a  too  drastic  charge  against  God. 

^^  The  reference  is  to  7,  20  where  Job  exclaims,  "  Have  I 
sinned,  what  have  I  done  to  thee?"  The  Greek  version  omits 
the  verse. 

328 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

I  will  answer  thee, 

And  thy  friends  with  thee:^^ 

Look  unto  the  heavens  and  see; 

And  behold  the  high  skies  above  thee!^^ 

If  thou  hast  sinned,  what  dost  thou  to  Him  ? 

And    be    thy    transgressions    ever    so   many, 

what  is  it  to  Him  ? 
If  thou  be  righteous,  what  givest  thou  to  Him  ? 
Or  what  does  He  receive  from  thee?^° 
Thy  wickedness  affects  a  man  like  thee;^^ 
Thy  righteousness,  a  son  of  man. 
By  reason  of  great  oppression  they  ^^  cry  out; 
They  appeal  against  the  arm  of  the  mighty.  ^^ 


^^  Who  could  not  find  a  satisfactory  answer. 

^^  Clearly  based  on  ii,  8  (Zophar)  and  22, 12  (Eliphaz). 

®®The  righteousness  of  man  is  of  no  benefit  to  God,  any 
more  than  the  wickedness  of  man  is  of  harm  to  Him.  The 
original  Greek  version  omits  7^  as  well  as  8-10*.  Cf.  22,  2 
(Eliphaz). 

*^  Men  suffer  through  their  wickedness  and  benefit  through 
their  virtues — an  interesting  thought  that  one's  conduct  affects 
one's  fellows  but  not  God. 

®2  i.e.^  people  in  general. 

^  i.e.,  when  things  get  too  bad  through  the  oppression  of 
the  wicked,  people  rebel  and  seek  help  against  the  oppressors, 
but  they  ought  not  regard  God  as  the  cause  of  their  misfortune, 
which  is  due  to  men.  The  abrupt  transition  in  v.  9  suggests  the 
possibility  of  some  omission.  Duhm  {Job,  p.  169)  places  v.  16  at 
this  point,  which  would  make  the  subject  in  v.  10  Job,  i.e.,  "  But 
Job  does  not  say  where  is  God,"  etc.  The  objection  to  the  in- 
troduction of  V.  16  after  v.  9  is  that  it  spoils  the  point  of  the  ar- 
gument, to  wit,  that  God  is  not  to  be  held  responsible  for  evils 
which  come  through  man.  To  be  sure,  it  may  be  that  v.  9  was 
added  so  as  to  lead  to  this  argument,  in  which  case  verses  lo-ii 
would  mean  that  people  ought  to  appeal  to  God;  but  this  assump- 
tion is  somewhat  arbitrary. 

329 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

10  But  one  does  not  say  "  Where  is  God,  my  maker  ?" 
Who  assigns  Hghts^^  for  the  night, 

11  Who  teaches  us  through  beasts  of  the  earth. 
And  through  the  birds  of  heaven  gives  wisdom.  ^^ 

13  Surely,  it  is  idle  [to  say]  that  God  does  not  hear. 

And  that  Shaddai  pays  no  regard. ^^ 
IS  [That  His  anger  punishes  for  nothing. 

And  that  He  takes  not  strict  note  of  transgression.  ^^ 

But  Job  opens  his  mouth  with  vanity; 

He  multiplies  words  without  knowledge.] ^^ 

^^  So  Ehrlich  proposes  to  read  by  a  change  in  the  text  in- 
stead of  "songs,"  which  gives  no  sense  in  this  connection.  The 
point  which  Elihu  makes  is  that  when  people  suffer  through  the 
violent  deeds  of  men,  they  should  not  blame  God,  who  has  noth- 
ing to  do  with  the  matter.  God's  deeds  are  to  be  seen  in  nature 
and  in  His  care  of  the  beasts  and  the  birds.  If  God  pays  no  at- 
tention to  appeals,  it  is  not  because  He  does  not  hear  them,  but 
for  some  good  reason,  and,  correspondingly,  when  He  punishes  it 
is  not  without  cause,  nor  because  He  is  not  concerned  with  the 
transgressions  of  man.  The  argument  smacks  of  sophistry,  but 
is  interesting  just  because  of  its  subtlety. 

^^Cf.  12,  7.  A  pious  reader  adds  the  reflection:  (v.  12) 
"  If  they  seek  for  help  and  there  is  no  answer,  it  is  because  of  the 
haughtinesss  of  the  evildoers."  The  first  half  of  the  verse  is 
not  found  in  the  original  Greek  version.  Read  "if"  at  the  be- 
ginning of  the  verse,  by  a  slight  change,  instead  of  "these." 

®®  Verse  14  (in  prose  form)  appears  to  be  again  the  addition 
of  a  pious  commentator  to  suggest  that  one  must  under  all 
circumstances  maintain  one's  trust  in  God.  "  Even  though  thou 
shouldst  say  that  thou  canst  not  perceive  Him,  the  case  is  before 
Him,  and  thou  shouldst  wait  for  Him,"  i.e.,  for  God's  decision. 

^^  So  read  by  the  addition  of  a  letter,  i.e.,  one  must  not 
talk  as  Job  does  and  say  that  God  does  not  concern  himself 
with  the  transgressions  of  men.  He  does,  although  He  is  not  to 
be  blamed  if  men  commit  violence  and  bring  sufferings  on  others. 

*^  Based  on  34,  37^.  The  two  verses  15-16  are  missing  in 
the  original  Greek  version  and  impress  one  as  a  later  ampli- 
fication of  V.  13. 

330 


tHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

E 

A  Fourth  Speech  of  Elihu®^ 

[And  Elihu  continued  as  follows  :]^°  36,1 

Suffer  me  a  little,  and  I  will  tell  thee;'^^ 

For  there  are  things  still  to  be  said  for  God.  1-4 

I  must  prolong  my  discourse,  introduction. 

Though  I  will  justify  my  doing  so.^^ 

For,  assuredly, ^^  my  words  are  not  false; 


6«  36,  1-23.  26  and  37,  23-24^ 

^°  Again  the  usual  editorial  link.  The  address  in  this  chap- 
ter is  directed  to  Job.  This  speech — the  fourth  if  we  count  the 
fragment  or  draft,  chapter  35 — furnishes  no  new  argument  but 
attempts  again  to  drive  home  the  truth  that  God  is  just,  has  no 
need  to  recall  any  decision  and  that  when  affliction  comes,  it  is  in 
order  to  recall  men  to  Divine  obedience.  Those  who  profit  by  the 
lesson  will  live;  those  who  do  not  will  perish.  This  is  set  forth 
verses  1-23  with  v.  26  as  perhaps  a  later  insertion  and  37,  23-24, 
as  the  forcible  close  of  the  speech.  Into  this  speech  a  nature 
poem,  36,  24-37,  13  (except  v.  26  of  Chap.  36)  with  37,  21-22 
forming  the  close,  has  been  inserted,  descriptive  of  God's  maj- 
esty in  a  storm.  It  is  a  beautiful  composition  for  the  preserva- 
tion of  which  we  should  be  grateful,  but  we  mu§t  also  recognize 
that  the  poem  is  an  independent  production  and  stands  in  no 
connection  with  the  Book  of  Job,  as  little  as  does  chapter  28  or 
the  poem  on  the  punishment  of  unworthy  rulers,  dovetailed 
into  chapter  34.  It  has  affinities  with  the  group  of  nature  poems 
which  we  have  in  chapters  38  to 41.  See  below,  p.  337.  Chapter 
37,  14-20  is  again  an  independent  fragment,  forming  another 
transition  to  the  nature  poems. 

^^  i.e.,  on  God's  behalf  in  answer  to  Job's  charge  against 
Divine  justice.  This  introduction  clearly  betrays  the  supple- 
mentary character  of  the  speech  and  that  it  is  by  another  author. 

^2  The  common  translation  of  both  lines  of  this  verse  is 
wide  of  the  mark. 

^^  This  is  the  force  here  of  the  particle  generally  rendered 
"indeed." 

331 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 


5-7 
God's  firm- 
ness and 
justice. 


8-15 

Suffering  as 

a  warning 

and  a 

discipline. 


10 


It  is  undeiiled  truth  ^^  [that  comes]  to  thee. 

Surely,  God  is  firm  and  does  not  recall ;^^ 

He  is  firm,  and  strong  of  mind. 

He  permits  not  the  wicked  to  flourish  ;^^ 

And  He  judges  the  cause  of  the  afflicted. 

He  withdraws  not  His  eyes"  from  the  righteous; 

But  seats  them  on  a  throne  to  be  exalted. ^^ 

And  if  He  binds  them  ^®  in  fetters, 

[And]  they  are  encompassed  with  cords  of  affliction ; 

It  is  to  recall  to  them  their  deeds, 

And    their   transgressions,    when  they  become 

haughty.*® 
Then  He  opens  their  ear  to  dicipline, 
And  tells  [them]  to  return  from  iniquity. 
If  they  hearken  and  obey. 
They  will  round  out  their  days  in  joy.^^ 
But  if  they  hearken  not,  they  pass  to  oblivion,*^ 
And  die  without  knowledge. 


^*  More  literally:  '  *some  one  of  perfect  knowledge" — mean- 
ing himself. 

^^  God  is  not  obliged  to  recall  any  decision  once  made. 

'^^The  line  is  too  short  by  one  beat.  Some  word  like  "in 
joy"  or  perhaps  "forever"  has  dropped  out.  The  original  Greek 
version  omits  verses  6-9,  as  well  as  11-13,  16,  20,  25*,  26  and 

29-33. 

" The  Greek  text  says  "His  judgment." 

^^ There  are  two  glosses  to  this  verse:  (a)  "with  kings" 
and  (b)  "forever." 

^^  So  by  a  slight  change  of  the  text. 

^^  This  is  the  kernel  of  the  fourth  speech  that  sufferings 
are  sent  to  those  who  err  as  a  warning  to  return  to  a  virtuous  life. 
It  is  the  same  thought  as  in  the  first  speech  (33, 16  seq.). 

^^  A  gloss  or  a  variant  adds  "and  their  years  in  pleasures." 

^2  The  same  word  as  is  used  33,  18  to  express  "the  nether 
world." 

33* 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

But  the  impious  assume  [Divine]  anger ;^' 

[And]  cry  not  for  help  when  He  binds  them. 

Their  soul  perishes  in  youth, 

And  their  life  in  the  age  of  vigor. ^* 

[Though]    He    oppresses^^      the    afflicted    with  is 

suffering, 
Yet  He  opens  their  ear  through  tribulation.^^ 
He  even  leads  thee  from  the  mouth  of  distress,^  ^  i6 
And  covers  thy  table  with  fat.  i^^' 

God  s  grace 
******  in  testing 

******  man. 

lest  it  entice  thee  by i8 


^  An  interesting  thought  that  those  who  are  utterly  de- 
praved assume,  as  Job  does  in  chapter  21,  that  God  is  an  arbi- 
trary Being,  morose  and  hostile  by  nature. 

^The  word  used  as  a  parallelism  to  "youth"  is  a  curious 
one,  kedeshim  or  "Hierophants" — the  designation  of  the  male 
devotees  In  the  Canaanitic  cult,  who  were  evidently  chosen  when 
they  were  young,  as  were  their  female  counter-parts,  the  kede- 
shoth  or  "sacred  prostitutes. " 

®^  So  by  an  inversion  of  two  letters  instead  of  ** delivers, " 
which  is  clearly  out  of  place  here. 

^^  Again  the  same  thought  that  God  sends  affliction  to 
those  capable  of  repentance,  as  a  means  of  revealing  to  them 
their  guilt. 

^^  A  gloss  adds  "  [into  a]  broad  expanse  where  there  Is  no 
narrowness."  Verse  17  and  the  first  part  of  v.  18  are  unintelli- 
gible.   The  Greek  version  reads  as  v.  17, 

"He  does  not  withhold  judgment  from  the  righteous" 

which  is  only  half  of  the  distich  to  be  expected  and  appears  to  be 
a  substitute  for  the  unintelligible  verse  in  the  original  which  is 
ordinarily  rendered: 

"Thou  art  full  of  the  judgment  of  the  wicked; 
Judgment  and  justice  take  hold  on  them." 

It  is  better  to  confess  ignorance  than  to  leave  such  translations 
stand.    The  two  lines  are  not  in  accord,  and  besides  are  totally 

333 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

And  let  not  a  great  ransom  mislead  thee.^^ 

%  H:  :!:  ^  4:  * 

n^  n*  T^  •!*•**  •T* 

****** 

3fC  3|C  9|C  ^  9|C  9|C 

21  Beware  of  turning  to  iniquity, 

22-23  and  26;         That  thou  choosest  this  in  preference  to  affliction. ^^ 
^'^'codt         Behold  God  is  exalted  in  His  strength ; 
supreme.         ^]^q  jg  ^  tcachcr  like  Him? 

23  Who  dares  to  call  Him  to  account? 

And  who  can  say, "Thou  hast  done  wrong?" 
26  [Behold  God  is  old  beyond  knowledge; 

The  number  of  His  years  is  beyond  reckoning.] ^^ 
[Verses  24-25  and  27  to  Chap.  37,  13  and  37,  21-22, 
an  inserted  poem  on  "God's  Majesty  in  the  storm," 
for  which  see  below,  p.  337,  while  37,  14-20  is  an  inde- 
pendent fragment  on  "  The  Wonders  of  Creation, " 
likewise  dovetailed  into  this  fourth  speech  of  Elihu. 
See  below,  p.  341.] 


out  of  connection  with  what  precedes  and  what  follows.  Simi- 
larly 18%  "For,  lest  wrath  lead  thee  away,"  bears  no  relation 
to  18^  and  appears  to  be  a  variant  reading  to  16*  with  the  word 
^/ taken  erroneously  as  "wrath."  Something  has  happened  to 
the  text  at  this  point,  and  it  is  a  hopeless  endeavor  to  try  to 
straighten  it  out. 

^^  i.e.,  do  not  try  to  escape  Divine  wrath  by  offering  a  bribe. 
Verses  19  and  20  are  again  utterly  obscure.  They,  as  well  as  17 
and  18%  have  proven  to  be  the  despair  of  commentators  and  it  is 
not  possible  to  make  even  a  reasonable  guess  at  their  meaning. 
In  the  original  Greek  version  v.  19^^  and  20  are  missing. 

^^i.  e.y  it  is  better  to  suffer  and  thus  be  warned  of  perhaps 
some  unintentional  misstep,  than  to  deliberately  plunge  into 
wrong  in  the  hope  of  escaping  punishment. 

^^The  verse  is  missing  in  the  original  Greek  version,  and 

334 


rUE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

He  is  exalted  in  power  and  justice;  37, 23-24" 

The  one  abounding  in  righteousness  does  not 

afflict. 
Therefore,  men  fear  Him; 
Albeit  the  wise  cannot  fathom  it.^^ 


The  Punishment  of  Unworthy  Rulers  ^^ 
(Inserted  Poem) 

If  there  be  understanding,  hear  this  ;^*  34, 16 

Give  ear  to  my  words. 

Is  it  conceivable  that  He  who  governs  is  a  hater 
of  justice  .^^^ 


may  well  be  a  later  insertion  (reminiscent  in  part  of  5,  9)  that 
has  gotten  into  the  midst  of  the  "storm"  poem,  instead  of  being 
placed  directly  after  v.  23. 

^^  These  two  verses  of  chapter  37  form  the  appropriate  close 
of  the  fourth  and  last  speech  of  Elihu. 

At  the  beginning  of  V.  23  "Shaddai — we  cannot  find  Him," 
is  an  explanatory  comment  either  to  ig*"  or  to  24*^,  which  has 
crept  into  the  text  at  a  wrong  place.     See  below,  p.  342,  note  39. 

^2  Literally;      "See,"  i.e.^  as  we  say  "see  through    it." 
Even  the  wisest  cannot  understand  the  hidden  ways  of  God — a 
thought  similar  to  the  one  uttered  by  Koheleth  as  his  final  word 
(Eccl.  8,  17). 
"Even  though  a  wise  man  thinks  that  he  knows — yet  he  cannot  find  out." 

^^  An  inserted  poem — chapter  34,  16-20;  24-27;  30.  See 
above,  p.  326.  As  a!  further  proof  for  the  independent  char- 
acter of  this  little  section,  one  may  instance  that  some  of  the 
Greek  versions  have  a  separate  heading  before  v.  16,  "Elihu  in 
answer  said." 

^^  The  address  in  this  introduction  is  in  the  singular,  where- 
as Elihu's  speech  proper  is  directed  to  the  wise  man  in  general 
(v.  2). 

'^Literally:  "judgment." 

33S 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

Wilt  thou  condemn  One  who  is  supremely  just?^^ 
Who  says  to  a  king,  "Thou  worthless  one"; 
"Thou  wicked  one"  to  nobles?" 
Who  pays  no  regard  to  princes, 
And  favors  not  rich  against  poor?^^ 

»o         For  all  in  a  moment  die, 

In  the  middle  of  the  night  are  shaken  off.^^ 

24         The  mighty  He  shakes  indiscriminately,^ 


lines 


^®  i.e.,  God — the  subject  also  of  the  verbs  in  the  following 


^^  This  line  is  missing  in  the  original  Greek  version. 

^  A  pious  commentator  adds  the  banal  remark,  "the  work 
of  His   hands." 

^  i.e.,  deposed.  Two  glosses  are  added  (a)  "They  pass 
away"  as  the  explanation  of  the  second  verb,  which  is  somewhat 
obscure,  (^)"the  mighty  ones  (read  the  plural!)  are  taken  away 
without  a  [visible]  hand" — a  further  explanation  of  what  is 
meant  by  v.  20.  As  a  variant  to  the'*  mighty  ones"  by  which 
rulers  and  princes  are  meant,  some  commentator  has  suggested 
that  the  verse  refers  to  the  "people";  and  this  word  for  "people" 
has  crept  into  the  text  at  a  wrong  place.  Verses  21-22  belong  to 
the  main  speech,  while  v.  23  (in  prose)  is  a  comment  to  v.  20 
about  the  suddenness  of  the  change  in  the  fortunes  of  rulers. 
"For  He  does  not  fix  a  time  for  going  to  God  for  judgment" 

God  calls  rulers  away  without  notice.  Instead  of  "  again, "  read 
by  a  slight  change  the  word  for  "time" — adopted  also  by  the 
translators  of  the  Amer.  Jewish  Publ.  Society.  The  original 
Greek  version  omits  23". 

^  More  literally:  "without  search"  but  here,  clearly,  in  the 
sense  of  "  indiscriminately. "  The  Greek  version  because  of  the 
word  "without  search"  adds,  from  5,  9, 

"He  does  great  things  beyond  searching," 
just  as  we  have  seen  this  same  sentiment  added  at  9,  10,  and  for 
a  third  time  37,  5.  Such  a  quotation  deliberately  introduced — 
for  the  Greek  translator  must  have  found  it  in  the  text  before 
him — shows  the  liberties  taken  with  the  text  by  editors,  who  felt 
free  to  add  anything  which  seemed  appropriate. 

336 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

And  sets  others  in  their  stead. ^ 

In  this  way  He  takes  note  of  their  works ;  25 

He   overturns    [them]    at   night,    and   they   are 

crushed. 
Because  from  Him  they  turned  away,  27 

And  paid  no  regard  to  His  ways.^ 


God's  Majesty  in  the  Storm^ 
(A  Second  Inserted  Poem) 

Remember  to  glorify  His  work,  36,24 

Whereof  men  have  sung; 

Which  all  can  see;^  25 

Which  man  has  looked  on  since  distant  days.^ 
How  He  draws  up  the  drops  of  water,  27 

Which  are  distilled  as  rain  through  His  vapor;     27-28 
Which  the  clouds  pour  down,^  "****' 

And  drop  upon  the  multitude. 


2  To  this  utter  condemnation,  verse  26  (in  prose)  is  added  by- 
way of  comment.  It  consists  of  two  parts  {a)  "in  place  of  the 
wicked,"  to  explain  "in  their  stead,"  (b)  "He  exults  over  them 
(same  verb  as  in  34,  37.  See  above,  p.  328)  in  open  sight,"  i.e,, 
he  humiliates  the  unworthy  rulers  in  the  sight  of  all. 

*  Verse  30  which  is  missing  in  the  original  Greek  version 
(as  also  28,  29  and  3 1-33)  is  again  a  comment  (in  poetic  form)  to 
the  deposition  of  rulers  as  expressed  in  verses  24-25, 

"Against  the  rule  of  an  impious  man, 
Against  the  ensnarers  of  the  people," 

*  The  inserted  poem  in  Elihu's  fourth  speech  (see  above,  p. 
33 1),  consisting  of  36,  24-25  and  27  to  37,  13 ;  and  37,  21-22. 

^  The  line  is  missing  in  the  original  Greek  version. 

*  Literally :  "  from  afar, "  meaning,  however,  from  far  off 
days.    For  verse  26,  see  above,  p.  334. 

^  The  line  is  missing  in  the  original  Greek  version. 

22  337 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

29-37, 4         Who*  can  grasp  the  spreadins:  of  clouds. 

Thunder  and  .  ,  T         1      •  r  tt-  .h*        ^ 

lightning.         Aye,  the  thundenngs  of  His  pavilhonr* 
30         Behold,  He  spreads  His  light^^  over  it,i^ 

Until  it  covers  the  tops  of  the  mountains  (?).^^ 
32         He  covers  with  light ^' 


^  The  particle  at  the  beginning  of  this  line  should  be  trans- 
posed to  the  following  one.  The  entire  verse  is  missing  in  the 
original  Greek  version  as  are  also  verses  30-33. 

®  Literally,  "His  tent" — meaning  the  heavens. 
^°  i.(f.,  the  lightning.     Duhm  and  others  read  by  a  slight 
change  "cloud,"  but  this  is  unnecessary. 

^^^i.e.,  over  the  cloud.  The  reference  is  to  the  lightning 
flashing  across  the  cloud. 

^^  The  text  reads  "  roots  of  the  sea, "  but  this  gives  no  sense. 
The  emendation  suggested  by  Duhm  is  radical  and  somewhat 
arbitrary,  but  it  is  the  best  that  has  been  offered  for  what  is  clear- 
ly a  currupt  text.  Verse  3 1  is  a  reflection  added  by  a  later  editor, 

"For  through  them  He  judges  peoples; 
He  gives  food  in  abundance." 

to  suggest  that  the  clouds  and  the  rain  with  the  accompanying 
lightning  are  both  destructive  and  beneficial  forces. 

^^The  balance  of  this  line  is  unintelligible,  as  is  also  v.  33 
which  appears  to  consist  of  a  series  of  glosses  (perhaps  to  37,  7-8) 
that  have  been  combined  into  an  absolutely  untranslatable  line. 
It  is  preferable  to  confess  being  baffled  (as  Siegfried,  Ehrlich  and 
others  do),  rather  than  to  attempt  a  translation  which  is  either 
nonsensical  or  fanciful.  In  reading  the  current  translations  of 
this  verse,  it  is  difficult  to  decide  in  which  of  the  two  categories 
they  belong.  33^  consists  of  four  words  (a)  "cattle  (b)  even  (c) 
over  (d)  that  which  comes  up" — a  perfectly  hopeless  jumble. 
The  RV  in  its  despair  adds  the  word  "storm,"  after  "over," 
which  the  translators  of  the  Jewish  Publication  Society  adopt,  but 
without  indicating  that  it  is  not  in  the  Hebrew  text.  As  for  33* 
why  mislead  the  public  to  suppose  that  the  Hebrew  words  are 
to  be  rendered  as  "The  noise  thereof  telleth  concerning  it"? 
What  possible  sense  is  there  in  such  a  line  or  in  the  following  one 
rendered : 

"The  cattle  also  concerning  the  storm  that  cometh  up?" 

338 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

And  commands  it  where  it  should  strike.^* 

At  this  my  heart  indeed  trembles,  37»  i 

And  is  moved  out  of  its  place. 

Hark  in  trembling  to  His  voice, 

And  to  the  sound  that  issues  from  His  mouth. 

Across  the  heavens  He  sends  it, 

And  His  light  ^^  unto  the  ends  of  the  earth. 

He  thunders  with  His  voice  majestic. 

And   nothing  restrains  them^®  when  His   voice 

is  heard.^^ 
[Marvellous  things  [God]^^  does,  s** 

Great  deeds  beyond  knowledge,]^^ 
For  to  the  snow  He  says,  "  Fall  to  earth  " ;  6-fi 

And  the  rain  is  the  outpouring  of  His  strength. ^o 
He  seals  up  the  activity  of  mankind, ^^ 
That  every  one  may  know  His  work. 
The  beasts  go  into  coverts, 
And  remain  in  their  dens. 


Snow  and 


^*  i.e.y  the  lightning. 

^*i./f.,  again  the  lightning.  A  gloss  (4*)  adds  "Behind  it 
{i.e.,  behind  the  lightning),  a  voice  roars. " 

^^  i.e.,  thunder  and  lightning.  Verse  5^  "God  thunders 
with  His  voice  '*  is  a  comment  or  variant  to  4^. 

^^  Cf.  Psalm  29,  3-9  for  a  similar  description  of  God's 
voice — the  thunder. 

^^  Perhaps  to  be  supplied.    The  line  lacks  one  beat. 

^^  A  quotation — slightly  altered — from  Eliphaz's  speech,  5, 9, 
who  also  specifies  the  downpour  of  rain  as  one  of  the  manifesta- 
tions of  God's  greatness. 

^®  A  gloss  explains  geshem  ("rain")  as  equivalent  to  matar 
"downpour." 

21  A  man  Is  forced  to  stop  work  and  to  seek  refuge  during 
the  rain  storm.   The  line  is  missing  in  the  original  Greek  version. 

339 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

9-IO         From  the  South  22  comes  the  storm, 
And  the  cold  from  the  North. ^^ 
10         For  by  the  breath  of  God  ice  is  formed, ^^ 
11-12  and         And  the  expanse  of  water  congealed. 
The  passing         Even  as  the  sunshine  drives  away  the  cloud,^^ 
of  the  storm.         p^^^  j^g  Yi^ht  scatters  the  mass  .of  clouds. 

12         He  causes  it  ^^  to  move  about  in  its  circuit;" 

By   His    direction   over   the   face   of   the   uni- 
verse. ^^ 


Cold  and 
ice. 


22  Literally,  "chamber "for" chambers  of  the  South"  (Job  9, 
9),  t.^.,  the  constellations  of  the  South,  and  used  poetically  for 
the  South. 

^  A  poetic  term  for  the  North  is  used  in  the  text,  the  spe- 
cific meaning  of  which  escapes  us.  It  may  refer  to  the  Polar 
Star. 

2*  An  impressive  picture  of  a  gifted  poet,  who  pictures  the 
ice  as  formed  by  God's  cold  breath  upon  the  waters,  just  as  His 
warm  breath  gives  life.  Cf  38,  29-30.  The  original  Greek  version 
omits  the  line. 

*^  So  read  the  line  by  a  change  in  the  first  word — following 
Ehrlich.  The  verse  is  missing  in  the  original  Greek  version  as 
are  also  verses  12-13. 

^*  i.e.,  the  light — meaning  the  sun. 

*^  A  gloss  V.  12^  (in  prose  form)  adds  "for  all  their  work  as 
He  commands  them,"  i.e.,  clouds  and  sun  play  their  part  in 
nature  according  to  God's  orders  to  them. 

28  A  gloss  adds  "towards  the  earth"  in  explanation  of  the 
phrase  "over  the  face  of  the  universe."  Verse  13  (in  prose 
form)  is  the  reflection  of  a  pious  commentator  and  should  be 
translated  as  follows: 

"Whether  as  a  scourge  for  the  earth  or  for  grace,  He  lets  it  (i.^.,  the  sun) 
run  Its  course,"  i.e.,  for  better  or  worse. 

I  follow  Ehrlich  in  making  two  slight  changes  in  the  text, 
called  for  in  order  to  yield  an  intelligible  meaning.  The 
original  Greek  version  omits  verses  11-13.  Verses  14-20  form 
the  third  inserted  poem.     See  below,  p.  341. 

340 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

And  now  ^^  there  is  brightness  in  the  skies;  21-22 

A  wind  blows  and  it  brightens  up. 

From  the  North  a  golden  ^^  splendor  comes; 

To  God,  the  awe-inspiring,  be  the  glory! 

H 

The  Wonders  of  Creation  ^^ 
(A  Third  Inserted  Poem) 

Give  heed  to  this,  O  Job; 

Stand  still  and  consider  God's  wonders ! 

Dost  thou  know  how  God  brings  these  things  15 

about  ?^^ 
How  light  breaks  through  His  clouds  ? 
Dost  thou  know  of  the  spreading  of  clouds  ?^^ 
The  marvels  of  the  Perfect  in  knowledge  ? 
That  thy  clothes  become  warm, 
When  the  earth  is  hushed  in  the  south  wind  P^^ 


37,14 


"^  There  is  a  meaningless  gloss,  "They  see  not  the  light," 
which  is  evidently  misplaced.  It  may  belong  to  37,  11,  "its 
light  scatters  the  mass  of  the  clouds,"  to  suggest  that  the  light 
comes  mysteriously. 

^^  Forming  the  close  of  the  poem  and  describing  the  passing 
of  the  storm. 

31  Or  "brilliant." 

32  The  little  section  37,  14-20  inserted  into  the  fourth 
speech  of  Elihu,is  clearly  supplemental  as  shown  by  the  separate 
heading.  It  draws  the  lesson  from  the  "  storm  "  poem,  and  forms 
the  transition  to  the  magnificent  series  of  nature  poems,  embodied 
in  chapters  38-41;  and  may  well  have  been  suggested  by  these 
poems  with  which  it  has  the  question  form  in  common. 

33  So  read  instead  of  "on  them." 

3^  By  a  change  in  a  single  letter,  we  obtain  the  same  phrase 
as  36,  29  in  the  "storm"  poem,  to  which  it  harks  back. 

35  i.e,,  lies  breathless  in  the  hot  south  wind.  Verse  18  takes 
up  a  new  thought  which  would  be  in  better  place  after  38,  3,  but 

341 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

[Canst  thou  spread  out  with  Him  the  expanse,** 
Firm  as  a  molten  mirror?] 
19         Teach  us  ^^  what  to  think  of  it  f^ 

Because  of  the  darkness,  we  find  not  our  way.'** 

since  this  necessitates  the  change  from  "with  Him"  to  "like 
me  "  for  which  there  is  no  warrant  in  any  of  the  versions,  it  seems 
preferable  to  let  the  verse  stand  where  it  has  been  placed,  and 
regard  it  as  a  later  addition  by  some  one  who  wished  still  further 
to  emphasize  the  marvels  of  creation  before  which  men  should 
be  speechless. 

^®The  "expanse"  (Genesis,  i,  6)  or  firmament  was  pictured 
by  the  ancients  as  a  solid  polished  substance;  hence  the  metaphor 
comparing  it  to  a  molten  mirror.  The  verse  is  missing  in  the 
original  Greek  version  and  is  clearly  out  of  the  context. 

2^ Some  Hebrew  manuscripts  read  "me." 

^  Literally  "to  say" — not,  however,  "to Him"  as  is  usually 
rendered  but  "concerning  it. "  The  reference  is  not  to  God,  but 
to  the  marvellous  phenomena  which  renders  one  speechless. 

^^  The  verb  used  conveys  the  idea  of  arranging  one's  words 
or  thoughts  in  a  proper  manner.  The  gloss  in  v.23,"x.^.,  Shaddai 
— we  cannot  find  Him. "  may  have  been  intended  to  explain  our 
passage,  or  possibly  24°.  (See  p.  335,  note  91).  At  all  events, 
the  thought  is  that  man  must  content  himself  in  the  presence  of 
the  marvels  of  creation  to  worship  in  silence.  To  further 
emphasize  that  silence  alone  is  becoming  to  man,  some  pious 
reader  added  v.  20,  which,  however,  strikes  one  as  an  anti-climax 

"Should  one  declare  to  Him,  *I  wish  to  speak?* 
Does  a  man  order  his  own  destruction?" 

Literally:  "that  he  be  swallowed  up."  The  commentator  has  in 
mind  Job's  audacity  in  declaring  that  he  will  insist  upon  speak- 
ing to  God  {e.g.,  7,  11;  10,  I;  13,  3, etc),  and  insinuates  that  such 
speech  is  equivalent  to  ordering  one's  destruction. 


VII 
SECOND  APPENDIX  TO  THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

A  Collection  of  Eight  Nature  Poems" 
(Chapters  38-41) 

A 

The  P^an  of  Creation" 

[Then  Yahweh  answered  Job  r]^^  33^  i 

[Who  is  this  that  darkens  counsel, 
By  words  without  knowledge? 
Gird  up  thy  loins  like  a  warrior;'*^ 
That  I  may  ask  thee  to  tell  me  :]^ 


*<>  See  above  pp.  82-86. 

*^  Consisting  of  38,   1-18. 

^  The  usual  editorial  link.  One  of  the  Greek  versions  adds 
"After  Elihu  had  ceased  speaking,"  to  connect  the  chapter  still 
closer  with  what  precedes.  A  gloss  to  the  line  adds  "from  (or 
out  of)  the  storm,"  inserted  by  a  commentator  who,  regarding 
the  Book  of  Job  in  Its  present  form  as  a  literary  unit  and  as  an 
actual  narrative,  took  the  poetical  references  in  the  closing  verses 
of  the  Inserted  poem  on  the  majesty  of  the  storm  and  the 
miracle  of  the  clearing  sky  after  the  storm  (37,  21-22)  literally. 
Thereupon,  In  order  to  connect  the  appearance  of  Yahweh  with 
what  preceded,  he  added  the  words  "out  of  the  storm"  (not 
"  whirlwind  "  as  usually  rendered).  They  are  clearly  out  of  place. 
The  repetition  of  the  editorial  link  at  40, 6  is  taken  from  our  text. 

^^  i.e.,  get  ready  for  a  contest.  For  work  or  battle,  the  lower 
garment  is  tucked  up  around  the  loins  so  as  not  to  interfere  with 
the  freedom  of  movement. 

^  Verses  2-3  represent  the  introduction  added  by  the 
editor  who  collected  the  nature  poems  and  connected  them  with 

343 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 
4-1 1  Where  wast  thou  when  I  laid  the  earth's  founda- 

Earth  and  ^ .  ^ 

sea.  tionsr 

Declare,  if  thou  hast  the  knowledge ! 
S         Who  determined  its  measures,  that  thou  shouldst 
know?^^ 

Or  who  stretched  the  measuring  line  o'er  it? 

Whereupon  are  its  sockets  fastened? 

Or  the  comer-stone  thereof  who  laid  it  ?^^ 

When  the  morning  stars  sang  together,*^ 

And  all  the  Sons  of  God  shouted  for  joy?^ 
9         When  I  made  the  cloud  its  garment,^^ 

And  thick  darkness  its  swaddling  band.^° 


the  Book  of  Job  as  speeches  in  the  mouth  of  God.  According  to 
Ehrlich  and  others,  verse  37,  1 8  should  be  inserted  here  so  as  to 
begin  the  description  of  God^s  work  of  creation  with  the  heavens. 
But  see  note  35,  above,  page  341. 

^^  i.<f.,Who  has  ever  measured  the  earth  and  told  thee  ?  See 
verse  18. 

•*^  i.<f.,dost  thou  knowanything  about  it?  Wert  thou  present? 

*^  i.e.,  dost  thou  know  anything  of  the  time  when  the  morn- 
ing stars,  etc. 

"**  See  the  note  to  i,  6  and  the  references  to  this  famous  verse 
in  Shakespeare,  Milton  and  Tennyson,  given  by  Strahan,  Job, 

p.  317.  . 

*®  i.e.,  again  where  wast  thou  when,  etc. 

^°  i.e.,  of  the  earth.  In  view  of  this  application  of  the  line 
to  the  earth  rather  than  to  the  sea,  to  describe  the  enveloping  of 
the  earth  through  clouds  and  darkness,  verse  9  is  to  be  placed 
before  v.  8.  Note  that  in  some  of  the  poems,  God  is  introduced 
as  speaking  {e.g.  38, 9-10;  39,  6),  whereas  in  others,  {e.g.,  38,  41 ; 
39,  17)  God  is  spoken  of  in  the  third  person.  Such  a  variation  of 
itself  points  to  the  independent  origin  of  the  separate  poems  into 
which  chapters  38-41  may  be  divided.  For  most  of  them  we 
need  not  even  assume  that  they  represent  an  address  by  God  to 
man,  but  merely  have  the  question  form  because  of  its  stronger 
rhetorical  force. 

344 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

Who  ^^  barred  the  sea  with  doors,  8 

When  from  the  depth ^^  {^  broke  forth  ? 

And  I  established^^  for  it  my  decree,  lo 

And  to  the  doors  set  a  bolt?^^ 

And  said :    Thus  far  come,  but  no  further. 

And  here  shall  thy  proud  waves  break  ?°^ 

Hast  thou  ever  commanded  the  morning,  12-is 

And  assigned  to  the  daybreak  its  place  ?  d7y^a^ 

To  take  hold  of  the  ends  of  the  earth,  '*5^^- 

And  to  shake  the  wicked  out  of  it  ?  ^  ^ 

So  that  it  is  reversed  as  a  clay  seal,^^  14 

And  is  dyed  ^^  as  a  garment.  ^^ 

Hast  thou  come  to  the  springs  of  the  sea  ?  16 

And  walked  in  the  recesses  of  the  deep  t  ^^5. 

Have  the  gates  of  death  been  opened  to  thee  1 


The  deep. 


^^  So  read  by  a  slight  change  of  the  text. 

^2  Literally  "womb."  An  explanatory  gloss  adds :  "came 
forth." 

^  So  read  by  a  slight  change  in  the  text,  supported  by  the 
Greek  version. 

^  So  by  a  slight  change. 

55  So  the  Greek  text. 

5^  The  wicked  are  dispersed  with  the  morning  dawn.  Simi- 
larly, in  Babylonian  hymns  to  the  sun-god  we  read  that  Sha- 
mash  drives  away  crime  and  reveals  guilt  (Jastrow,  Aspects  of 
Religious  Belief  and  Practice  in  Babylonia  an(^  Assyria,  p.  1 1 1 
and  Religion  Baby  loniens  undAssyriens,  I.,  p.  432^^^^^.)     ^  • 

5^  I  follow  Ehrlich's  interpretation,  (improving  upon  a  sug- 
gestion made  by  Ewald,  Book  of  Job  p.  301  note)  that  the  refer- 
ence is  to  the  inscription  on  a  clay  seal  which  is  written  backward 
and  on  being  impressed  on  a  soft  object  is  reversed  and  comes  out 
in  perfect  form.    So  the  sun  changes  the  chaos  of  night  into  order. 

58  So  by  a  slight  change  in  the  text. 

5^  Verse  15  is  a  reflection,  added  by  a  pious  commentator. 
"Their  light  is  withheld  from  the  wicked; 
And  the  haughty  arm  is  broken." 

34S 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

And  hast  thou  seen  the  gates  of  dense  darkness  ?^° 
Hast  thou  surveyed  the  earth  in  its  breadth? 
Declare,  if  thou  knowest  its  measure.  ^^ 

B 

The  Phenomena  of  the  Heavens'^^ 

19-24  [Which  is  the  way  to  the  dwelling  of  light, 

'^InThJ.         And  darkness— where  is  its  place? 

20         That  thou  mayest  track  it  to  its  bounds. 

And  discern  the  paths  to  its  house.]  ^^ 
22         Hast  thou  come  to  the  storehouses  of  snow, 
And  seen  the  chambers  ^^  of  the  hail  ? 
Which  I  have  reserved  against  time  of  trouble, 
Against  the  day  of  battle  and  war? 
By  what  way  passes  the  wind  ?^^ 

^^  A  synonym  here  for  the  realm  of  the  dead,  situated  in  the 
deep  or  in  the  hollow  of  the  earth. 

*^  So  by  a  slight  change  of  the  text. 

*2  Consisting  of  38,  19-38. 

*^  Verses  19-20  probably  represent  the  beginning  of  the 
second  poem,  though  it  is  also  possible  that  they  are  an  insertion, 
suggested  by  v.  24.  At  all  events  their  extreme  beauty  justifies 
their  inclusion  in  the  text,  despite  a  certain  doubt  of  their 
genuineness.    Verse  21,  to  be  taken  ironically,  reads: 

*'Thou  knowest,  for  thou  wast  born  at  the  time, 
And  the  number  of  thy  days  is  great." 

This  is  clearly  an  insertion  that  reveals  the  rather  bad  taste  of 
some  zealous  and  pious  commentator,  who  is  more  concerned  in 
pedantic  fashion  with  rebuking  Job,  than  impressed  with  the 
beauty  and  majesty  of  this  paean. 

*^The  Hebrew  text  repeats  "storehouses"  though  one 
would  expect  a  synonym. 

^^Read  "wind"  for  "light"  in  the  text — a  suggestion 
originally  made  by  Ewald,  and  adopted  by  many  commentators, 
including  Ehrlich 

346 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

Or  is  the  east  wind  scattered  o'er  the  earth  ? 

Who  has  cleft  a  channel  for  the  waterflood,  ^s 

And  a  way  for  the  thunderbolt?^^  J5-28 

[To  cause  it  to  rain^^  on  a  land  uninhabited;         rain. 

On  the  wilderness  where  are  no  men. 

To  saturate  what  is  waste  and  desolate, 

And  to  cause  verdure  to  spring  forth.]  ^^  ^ 

[Has  the  rain  a  father.? 

Or  who  has  begotten  the  dew-drops } 

From  whose  womb  comes  the  ice,  29-30 

And  who  has  engendered  the  hoarfrost  of  heaven .?   °    ^    ^'' 

So  that  water  is  congealed  as  a  crystal,  30 

And  the  face  of  the  deep  is  frozen.] ^^ 

Canst  thou  bind  the  chains  of  the  Pleiades,  31-33 

Or  loosen  the  bands  of  Orion  .^^^  ]uUc^Ls, 

Canst  thou  lead  out  the  Dippers  at  their  season,  ^^ 


^®  A  reminiscence  or  an  actual  quotation  from  28,  26''  in  the 
inserted  "Search  for  Wisdom." 

*^  The  miracle  of  rain  that  fertilizes  even  the  stoniest  soil 
was  particularly  impressive  to  the  ancients  and  is,  therefore, 
dwelt  upon  so  frequently  in  the  Book  of  Job. 

^^  Verses  26  and  27  are  omitted  in  the  original  Greek  ver- 
sion, and  may  well  be  later  insertions. 

*^  These  three  beautiful  verses  (28-30)  appear  again  to  be 
an  insertion — perhaps  taken  from  the  same  poem  of  which  we  en- 
countered another  fragment  above  verses  19-20.  It  would  be 
quite  in  keeping  with  the  ancient  Oriental  mode  of  composition 
to  thus  dovetail  two  poems  into  each  other  that  have  an  affilia- 
tion. Compare  the  description  of  the  source  of  cold  and  Ice  in 
the  "storm"  poem  37,  9-10,  above,  p.  340. 

^®  An  Impressive  metaphor  to  describe  the  combination  of 
stars  into  a  constellation,  as  though  they  were  bound  by  Invis- 
ible chains  and  bands. 

^1  Probably  the  greater  and  the  lesser  Bear,  though 
Schlaparelli,  Astronomy  in  the  Old  Testament^  p.  82,  argues  for 

347 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

Or  guide  the  Lion  and  his  young  P^^ 
Knowest  thou  the  ordinances  of  the  heavens  V^ 
Or  on  earth  canst  trace  its  constellations?^* 
cioud^'and         Canst  thou  lift  thy  voice  to  the  clouds, 
storm.         To  answer  thee/^  with  abundance  of  water? 
35  Canst   thou    send   flashes    of   lightning,    to    go 

forth; 
And  to  say  to  thee,  "Lo  we  are  here?"^^ 
37         Who  can  empty ^^  the  clouds  [on  high?]^^ 
Or  can  pour  out  the  water-skins  of  heaven, 
When  the  ground  runs  thick  into  mire, 
And  the  clods  cleaV'e  fast  together? 


an  identification  with  Lucifer  and  Hesperus,  which  is  most 
unlikely.     The  verse  is  missing  in  the  original  Greek  version. 

^2  According  to  Schiaparelli  /.  c,  p.  57  Aldebaran  and 
Hyades.    The  verse  is  omitted  in  the  original  Greek  version. 

"Cf.Jer.3i,3S-36. 

^*  i.e.,  from  thy  position  on  earth  canst  thou  make  a  map 
covering  the  entire  starry  heaven?  The  word  translated  con- 
stellation is,  literally,  "its  writing,"  which  is  also  used  in 
Babylonian  ("writing  of  heaven")  for  the  mapping  out  of  the 
starry  firmament. 

^^  So  read  by  a  slight  change  of  the  text. 

^^  Verse  36  which  contains  two  obscure  words: 

**Who  has  placed  wisdom  in  the     .     .     . 
Or  has  given  understanding  to  the  mind  (?) 

appears  again  to  be  the  reflection  of  some  pious  commentator, 
with  a  view  of  giving  expression  to  his  amazement  at  the  Divine 
power  manifested  in  the  universe. 

"  So  the  meaning  of  the  verb,  as  in  Arabic. 

^^Text  has  "by  wisdom,"  which  spoils  the  beauty  of  the 
line,  and  may  have  been  separated  by  accident  from  v.  36. 
Some  word,  however,  is  needed  to  complete  the  three  beats  of 
the  line.     The  parallelism  suggests  "on  high." 

348 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

C 

Animal  Life^^ 
Dost  thou  hunt  the  prey  for  the  Hon,  38, 39 

To  still  the  hunger  of  young  lions  ?  go^ 

As  they  crouch  in  their  dens,  40 

And  lie  in  wait  in  the  covert? 
Who  provides  his  food  for  the  raven,^°  41 

When  his  young  ones  cry  unto  God  ?^^  ^''^'^• 

Dost  know  when  rock  goats  bring  forth  ?«*  39,  i 

Or  dost  mark  when  hinds  are  in  travail?^'  1-4 

When  they  throw  off^^  their  young,  Unl!''^ 

And  separate  themselves  from  their  burdens?  3 
Their  young  grow  up  ^^  in  the  open, 
Go  forth  and  return  not  again. 


^^  The  third  of  the  nature  poems  (38,  39-39,  30)  consists  of 
the  description  of  the  ways  of  the  animal  world  in  further  illus- 
tration of  the  wonders  of  God.  Ten  animals  or  eleven  if  we 
count  both  ostrich  and  stork  (13-18)  are  singled  out.  The  poem 
is  again  a  composite  production,  as  is  shown  by  the  lack  of  any 
arrangement  or  sequence  in  the  animals  enumerated — wild 
animals  and  birds  being  promiscuously  combined. 

^°  Instead  of  "  raven  "  some  commentators  read  by  a  change 
in  vocalization  "at  evening"  and  thus  eliminate  the  raven  al- 
together, because  hardly  in  place  between  the  lion  and  other 
wild  animals. 

®^  A  commentator  adds  "roaming  about  without  food." 

^The  entire  line,  which  has  a  superfluous  word  "time" 
(making  the  line  too  long)  is  missing  in  the  original  Greek  version. 

^  Verse  2  appears  to  be  a  variant  or  a  comment  to  verse  i. 
It  reads : 

"Dost  thou  count  the  months  which  they  round  out? 
Dost  thou  know  the  time  of  their  bringing  forth  ? " 

^A  commentator  adds  "crouching"  to  explain  the  rare 
verb  used.    The  word  makes  the  line  too  long. 
^^  Comment,  "wax  strong." 

349 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 


5 

5-8 

Wild-asses. 


*      9-12 
Wild-ox. 


10 


12 


Who  sends  the  wild  ass  to  roam  free  ? 

Or  has  loosened  the  bonds  of  the  unbridled  ? 

For  whom  I  have  made  the  wilderness  his  house. 

And  the  desert  ^^  his  dwelling  place. 

He  scorns  the  tumult  of  the  city; 

Nor  hears  the  shoutings  of  the  driver.^ ^ 

He  roams  the  mountains  for  pasture, 

And  seeks  out  whatever  is  green. ^^ 

Will  the  wild  ox  ^^  be  content  to  serve  thee? 

Or  will  he  abide  by  thy  crib.^^° 

Canst  thou  with  a  cord  bind  him/^ 

To  harrow  thy  furrows  ^^  after  thee? 

Canst  trust  him,  ^^  because  of  his  strength  ? 

And  leave  thy  labor  to  him? 

Wilt  thou  to  him  confide  thy  seed?^* 


*^  Literally  "salt"  land — as  a  pictuje  of  desolation. 

"  Those  who  have  travelled  in  the  East  and  have  heard  the 
constant  shouts  of  the  drivers  to  their  horses  will  appreciate  this 
description. 

^  The  8th  verse  is  omitted  in  the  original  Greek  version. 

^'  The  re^em  now  definitely  identified  through  the  frequent 
references  to  the  rimu  in  Cuneiform  Inscriptions  and  through 
illustrations  of  this  animal  on  Assyrian  monuments. 

®°  There  is  a  gap  in  the  original  Greek  version  from  39,  9  to 
40,  8*,  so  that  we  cannot  be  certain  how  much  of  the  description 
of  the  horse  (19-25)  has  been  amplified  or  whether  the  single 
verse  (v.  26)  devoted  to  the  hawk  may  not  be  a  later  insertion. 

*^So  read,  instead  of  repeating  "wild  ox,"  which  the 
Greek  version  properly  omits. 

^2  So  the  Greek  version,  instead  of  the  Hebrew  "valleys," 
though  in  the  preceding  line  we  have  "furrow"  which  represents 
the  variant  and  better  reading. 

^^  i.e.^  utilize  him. 

**  The  line  as  it  stands  is  too  long.    By  omitting  the  super- 

350 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

And  to  heap  up  thy  threshing  floor  ?^^ 
[Verses  13-18  below,  p.  352.] 

Dost  thou  give  strength  to  the  horse  ?  19 

Dost  thou  clothe  his  neck  with  a  mane?^«  Th^Lrse 

Dost  thou  bring  smoke  from  his  nostrils,  ^'^  20 

With  the  loud  blast  of  his  snorting? 
He  paws  in  the  valley  with  joy; 
He  goes  out  in  might  to  the  encounter. 
He  laughs  at  fear  without  tremor; 
And  turns  not  back  from  the  sword.  ^^ 
The  quiver  rattles  against  him, 
The  glittering  spear  and  the  javelin. 
He  stamps  the  ground  with  storm  and  rage,  24 

And    cannot    be    held    back    at    the   trumpet's 
sound. »» 


fluous  "to  bring  in"  before  "thy  seed'*  (x.^.,  thy  produce) — it  is 
reduced  to  three  beats. 

^^  The  wild  ox,  if  let  loose  in  the  fields  will  uproot  and  des- 
troy the  crops.  Verses  13-18  are  clearly  an  independent  frag- 
ment, taken  from  some  poem  that  like  ours  was  devoted  to  a 
description  of  the  ways  and  habits  of  animals,  but  as  a  direct  na- 
ture poem,  not  in  the  form  of  a  question  to  suggest  man's  inabil- 
ity to  control  the  wild  brood  of  creation.  The  translation,  will 
befoundbelow  (p.  352),  asasupplementtoourcomposition.  The 
insertion  appears  to  have  been  suggested  by  verses  26-30 — the 
description  of  the  hawk  and  vulture,  which  would  lead  to 
inserting  the  description  of  the  ways  of  the  ostrich. 

*^  The  mane  as  the  symbol  of  strength. 

^^  So  read  with  Ehrlich,  by  a  slight  change  of  the  text.  The 
traditional  translation  of  this  line,  describing  the  horse  as  "leap- 
ing like  a  locust"  is  unpoetical  as  well  as  absurd. 

^^  The  line  is  missing  in  the  Greek  versions. 

^^  Verse  25^^ — superfluous  line — is  an  explanatory  com- 
ment: "When  the  trumpet  sounds,  he  says  *Aha!' "  to  emphasize 
that  the  approaching  battle  acts  as  a  spur. 

3SI 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 


25' 


26 

Thg  hawk. 


27-30 
Thi  vulture. 


30 


The  ostrich. 
13-18 


He  smells  the  battle  from  afar, 
The  captain's  thunder  and  the  roar.^ 

Does  the  hawk  migrate^  through  thy  wisdom,' 

Spreading  his  wings  to  the  South? 

Does  the  vulture  mount  at  thy  order, 

To  make  his  nest  on  high  ? 

He  settles  on  rock  and  abides  there, 

Upon  the  crag  of  the  rock  as  a  stronghold.* 

Whence  he  spies  out  the  prey; 

His  eyes  seeing  it  from  afar. 

With  his  young  ^  he  sucks  up^  the  blood  ;^ 

And  where  the  carcasses  are,  he  is  to  be  found. 

D 

Independent  Fragment*  on  the  Ostrich 

The  wing  of  the  ostrich  *  fails ;^*^ 
A  cruel  ^^  mother  is  the  stork.  ^^ 


^  Strahan,  Job,  p.  329,  appropriately  quotes  Layard's  fine 
description  of  the  horse  of  the  Arab  {Discoveries  in  the  Ruins  of 
Nineveh  and  Babylon,  pp.  326-33 1).  The  horse  in  the  ancient  East 
is  used  in  battle  or  for  hunting,  never  as  a  beast  of  burden  for 
which  the  ass  is  employed.  Poetic  descriptions  of  the  horse  are  a 
standing  feature  in  the  poetry  of  ancient  Arabia.  Indeed,  the 
section  in  Job  is  quite  in  the  style  of  Arabic  poetry. 

*  So  by  a  slight  change  of  the  text,  furnishing  a  reading 
that  replaces  the  guess  "soar"  for  a  stem  not  otherwise  found 
in  Hebrew. 

^  i.e.,  dost  thou  tell  the  hawk  when  to  migrate  on  the  ap- 
proach of  winter.'* 

*  Quoted  from  Jeremiah,  49, 1 6. 
'^  So  by  a  slight  change. 

^  Read  the  singular,  since  the  vulture  must  be  the  subject 
in  both  parts  of  the  verse. 

^  Quoted  as  a  proverbial  saying  Matthew  24,  28  and  Luke 
17,37- 

352 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

For  she  leaves  her  eggs  in  the  ground, 
To  hatch  in  the  dust; 

Forgetting  that  foot  may  crush  them,  is 

And  that  the  beast  of  the  field  may  trample  them. 
She  hardens  her  young  to  do  without  her; 
To  no  purpose  her  labor  [and  without  profit  (?)].^^ 
For  God  has  deprived  her  of  wisdom,  17 

And  not  given  her  a  share  in  understanding.^^ 
[40,    1-14,  forming  the  first  epilogue,  and  a  part 
of  the  second,  see  below,  p.  361  seq.] 

^  39>  13-18  omitted  in  all  the  older  Greek  versions.  See 
Beer,  Text  des  Buches  Hiob,  p.  243 . 

^  The  Targum  renders  as  wild  cock."  "Peacock"  in  the 
older  English  versions  is  a  pure  guess. 

^^  So  read,  following  Hoffman,  whose  emendation  of  the 
meaningless  word  in  the  text  is  accepted  by  Budde,  Ehrlich  and 
others.   The  ostrich  fails  to  protect  her  brood. 

^^  So  read  instead  of  meaningless  "pinions"  by  a  change  of 
the  text,  demanded  by  the  context. 

^2  A  misplaced  gloss  or  a  comment  by  one  who  did  not  under- 
stand the  obscure  because  corrupt  verse,  adds  "and  feathers." 
To  the  writer  of  this  fragment,  the  ostrich  and  stork  are  closely 
related  birds — at  least  sufficiently  so  as  to  warrant  the  poetical 
license  in  using  the  one  for  the  other.  What  the  fragment  says 
applies,  however,  only  to  the  ostrich. 

^^  i.e.,  she  has  no  joy  of  motherhood  in  return  for  her  effort 
in  laying  her  eggs.  The  close  of  the  line  reads  "without  fear," 
but  this  gives  no  sense.  The  word  is  a  gloss  that  has  slipped  into 
a  wrong  place  and  entailed  the  dropping  out  of  the  correct  read- 
ing which  must  be  supplied  from  the  context.  Some  word  Is 
needed  to  make  up  the  three  beats. 

^^  Verse  18,  as  it  stands,  gives  no  sense  that  could  conceiv- 
ably fit  into  the  context.  What  possible  connection  is  there  even 
between  the  two  parts  of  the  verse,  which  are  usually  rendered : 

"When  the  time  comes  she  raises  her  wings  on  high, 
And  she  laughs  at  the  horse  and  his  rider." 

Nor  have  the  various  attempts  at  emendation  of  the  text  been 

23  3S3 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

Four  Poems  Descriptive  of  the  Extraordinary  Strength 

AND  Hugeness  of  Animals  that  Cannot  be  Tamed 

BY  Man 

E 
The   Hippopotamus  ^^ 

40,  IS  Behold,  the  great  beast  ^^  as  compared  to  thee; 

Eating  grass  as  an  ox. 
See  his  strength  in  his  loins, 
And  his  force  in  the  muscles  of  his  body. 
His  tail  ^^  is  stiff  like  a  cedar; 
Closely  knit  are  the  sinews  of  his  thighs. 
18         His  bones  pipes  of  brass; 


successful.  I  venture  to  see  in  the  final  words  "scorning  the 
horse  and  his  rider"  a  gloss  or  comment  to  v.  19^,  while  the 
balance  of  the  verse  appears  to  have  been  intended  as  a  comment 
either  to  v.  26  (hawk)  or  to  v.  14,  to  further  indicate  the  indif- 
ference of  the  stork  to  her  brood,  by  describing  how  at  the  time 
when  they  need  her,  she  leaves  them.  In  the  endeavor  to  connect 
the  two  glosses,  the  text  has,  however,  been  corrupted  beyond 
the  point  of  certain  restoration. 

^^40,  15-24.  An  independent  poem  to  which  40,  6-j, 
with  42,  3*  and  4,  originally  served  as  an  introduction  (see  below 
note  65),  but  in  the  course  of  the  editorial  process,  the  intro- 
duction was  combined  with  the  epilogue  to  the  series  of  four 
poems  on  the  huge  beasts. 

i^Text  uses  the  plural  Behemoth  "beasts"  as  frequently  in 
poetic  Hebrew  for  "great  beast."  Similarly  in  Psalms  137,  i, 
"rivers"  for  "great  river,"  i.e.^  the  Euphrates.  There  is  added 
a  gloss,  "which  I  have  made"  (missing  in  the  Greek  version). 
It  represents  a  later  insertion  to  bring  the  independent  fragment 
into  connection  with  the  theme  of  God's  power  in  creating 
such  animals. 

^^The  "tail"  may  be  euphemistic  for  the  sexual  member, 
to  which  the  "thighs"  in  the  parallel  line  point. 

354 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

His  gristles  like  bars  of  iron.^* 

The  mountains  ^^  bring  him  food;  20 

And  he  scorns  tlie  beasts  of  the  iield.^o 

Under  lotus  he  lies; 

In  the  covert  of  reed  and  fen. 

[Lotus  trees  form  his  shade; 

And  willows  of  the  brook  encompass  himj^i 

Though  the  river  ^2  overflows  he  trembles  not; 

Confident  as  when  Jordan  oversteps  its  bank. 

Who  can  overcome  him  with  his  eyes  P^^ 

Pierce  his  nose  with  hooks  P^^ 


^*V.   19  reading; 

"  He  is  the  first  {i.  e.  the  mightiest)  of  God's  ways, 
A  creature  of  gigantic  build," 

18  an  addition  on  the  part  of  some  commentator.  The  text  of  the 
second  line  is  corrupt.  I  follow  Ehrlich's  suggestions  for  two 
textual  changes  in  order  to  get  a  satisfactory  parallel. 

^^Or  "rivers"  which  reading  one  can  obtain  by  a 
slight   change. 

^•^  The  text  has  a  superfluous  word  at  the  close  of  v.  20. 

^^  Perhaps  a  variant  verse. 

^  i.<f.,  the  Nile  as  the  river  par  excellence,  in  contrast  to  the 
petty  Jordan.  The  vast  overflow  of  the  great  Nile  is  as  insig- 
nificant to  him  as  the  small  Jordan  overstepping  its  banks. 

2^  So  the  text,  which  Ehrlich  explains  as  a  reference  to  an 
attempt  to  hypnotize  the  hippopotamus  by  one's  stare,  which  is 
possible  in  the  case  of  lions  and  tigers,  though — one  feels  inclined 
to  add — a  rather  risky  procedure. 

2*  The  abrupt  ending  suggests  that  something  has  been 
omitted  at  this  point.  Duhm,  (Hiob,  p.  197)  is  of  the  opinion 
that  41,  1-4  represent  the  conclusion  of  the  description  of  the 
hippopotamus  and  that,  since  these  verses  apply  also  to  the 
crocodile,  they  have  been  transferred  to  the  poem  on  the 
crocodile  40,  25-32  (=41,  1-8).  Such  a  supposition  is,  how- 
ever, unnecessary.  The  original  Greek  version  omits  verse  24  as 
well  as  23^. 

3SS 


"THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 


The  Crocodile^^ 

40, 2s  Canst  thou    draw  the    crocodile  ^^  with  a  fish 

hook  ? 
And  with  a  cord  press  down  his  tongue? 
Canst  thou  put  a  ring  ^^  through  his  nose? 
And  with  a  hook  pierce  his  jaw? 
Will  he  indulge  in  suppHcations  to  thee, 
Or  softly  speak  unto  thee? 
Will  he  cut  a  covenant  with  thee, 
To  take  him  as  a  servant  forever  ? 
Wilt  make  a  toy  of  him  as  a  bird, 
And  bind  him  for  thy  maidens? 
30         Will  the  guilds  barter  for  him? 

Divide  him  among  the  merchants  f^^ 
Canst  fill  his  skin  with  barbed  irons, 


2^40,  25-41,  4  (or  41,  1-12).  Note  that  the  AV  and  RV 
follow  the  Greek  translation  in  beginning  the  41st  chapter  at 
this  point.  There  are  no  less  than  three  poems  on  the  crocodile 
that  have  been  put  together,  (a)  40,  25-41,  4  (or  41,  1-12)  (b) 
41,5-13,  (or  41,  13-21),  (c)  41,  14-26  (or  41,  22-34). 

^®  "  Leviathan " — the  name  of  this  mythical  monster  of 
primitive  myth  is  here  used  as  in  Psalms  104,  26,  for  any  great 
beast  of  the  waters — figuratively,  therefore,  for  the  crocodile 
though  not  limited  to  this  monster.  The  same  beast  is  referred 
to  by  Ezekiel  29,  3  under  the  title  of  the  "great  dragon"  and 
there  used  as  a  metaphor  for  Egypt.  It  is  interesting  to  note 
that  Herodotus  (II  §70)  states  that  the  crocodile  is  caught  by  a 
hook.  The  passage  in  Ezekiel  (29,  4)  likewise  assumes  this 
method  of  capturing  him. 

27  So  the  Greek  text. 

^Text  "Canaanites" — used  as  a  general  term  for  merchants, 
as  also  Prov.  31,  24;  Is  23,  8,  etc.,  because  of  the  fame  acquired 
by  Canaanites  as  the  merchants  par  excellence, 

356 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

And  his  head  with  fishhooks  ? 

Try  to  lay  hand  upon  him; 

Think  of  the  battle — thou'lt  not  do  it  again. 

One's  hope  would  forsooth  be  dispelled;  41,  i 

At  mere  sight  of  him,  one  would  be  cast  down. 

Inconceivable  ^^  that  any  should  stir  him; 

For  who  could  stand  up  against  him?^° 

Who  could  attack  him  ^^  and  come  out  whole? 

There  is  none  such  ^^  under  heaven. 

[None  can  deny  ^^  his  structure; 

His  strength  without  comparison]. ^^ 


2^  By  a  transposition  of  two  letters  of  the  text  we  obtain 
the  reading  "I  do  not  recall,"  i.e.^  I  cannot  conceive, — here  used 
as  the  strongest  kind  of  a  statement,  viz.,  it  is  inconceivable. 
Similarly  in  v.  4. 

^°  So  the  Greek  text  and  several  Hebrew  manuscripts  in- 
stead of  "before  me" — a  reading  which  represents  an  intentional 
change  ad  magnam  gloriam  dei  to  give  to  verses  2-4  an  entirely 
different  interpretation  from  the  one  intended  by  the  author 
of  the  description  of  the  crocodile,  which  is  continued  in 
these  verses. 

^^  So  instead  of  "me"  the  Greek  text  which  is  undoubtedly 
correct.  The  change  to  "me"  is  again  intentional.  (See 
above  p.  in). 

32  Read  IS  M  "there  is  none"  instead  of  IthA  "to  me  there 
is"  which  is  a  further  change  to  make  the  phrase  read: 

"To  me  is  everything  under  heaven" 

but  which  is  clearly  out  of  place  at  this  point.    For  the  phrase 
"there  is  not"  as  in  our  passage,  cf.  Jer.     5,  12. 

33  Literally,  "  I  cannot  pass  over  in  silence, "  i.e.,  one  cannot 
ignore.  The  entire  fourth  verse  is  missing  in  the  original  Greek 
version,  and  may  well  be  a  later  addition. 

3^  So  by  a  change  of  the  text,  demanded  by  the  context. 
The  common  translation  of  this  verse  is  wide  of  the  mark. 

357 


"THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

G 

A  Further  Description  of  the  Crocodile  ** 

4i»s         Who  can  do  justice  ^^  to  his  covering ?^^ 
His  double  armor  ^^  who  can  describe  P^*^ 
Who  can  open  the  doors  of  his  mouth  ?^® 
About  his  teeth  lies  terror; 
His  back  ^^  is  a  cluster  of  shields; 
A  mass  that  is  closely  sealed. 
Touching  one  the  other; 
That  no  air  can  come  between  them. 
[Joined  one  to  another; 
So  close  as  not  to  be  sundered]. "^^ 
10         His  sneezings  flash  light; 

His  eyes  are  like  eyelids  of  morning. 

'^  An  independent  composition  comprising  41,  5-13  or  41, 
13-2 1 ,  according  to  the  enumeration  in  the  AV  and  RV. 

^^  Literally:  "reveal,"  not,  however,  as  usually  taken  in 
the  sense  of  "uncover,"  but  as  "setting  forth." 

»7  Literally:     "garment." 

^  So  read  by  a  transposition  of  the  letters  of  the  text  and 
the  insertion  of  yoi, giving  us  siryono^  "his  armor, "which  forms 
the  proper  parallelism  to  "garment,"  i.e.^  the  skin  of  the  cro- 
codiles. "Double  bridle"  in  our  English  translations  is  meaning- 
less; nor  is  "double  jaws"  much  of  an  improvement. 

^^Text  "enter,"  but  the  context  demands  a  verb  like 
"describe." 

^^  So  read — following  the  Syrlac  version — Instead  of  "his 
face"  by  the  omission  of  the  second  letter  of  the  word  in  the  text. 
The  "doors  of  the  mouth"  (cf.MIcha  7,  5  and  Psalm  141,  3)  are, 
of  course,  the  jaws.  Ehrlich,  who  accepts  this  reading  proposed 
by  Budde,  takes  the  phrase,  somewhat  figuratively  to  mean  to 
get  an  insight  into  the  nature  of  the  beast. 

*^The  Grefek  text  has  "breasts." 

^Thls  verse  as  well  as  8'  is  omitted  in  the  original  Greek 
version.    It  impresses  one  as  a  variant  to  the  preceding  verse. 

358 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

Out  of  his  mouth  go  torches  ; 
Sparks    of    fire    leap    forth. 
Out  of  his  nostrils  goes  smoke,*^ 
As  a  seething  and  boiling  ^^  pot. 
His  breath  kindles  coals; 
And  flames  go  forth  from  his  mouth. 

H 
A  Third  Description  of  the  Crocodile'" 
Strength  abides  in  his  neck;^^  41,14 

Closely  knit  are  the  flakes  of  his  flesh,  15 

Firm  and  [also]  immovable.'*^ 

At  his  hindparts  the  waves  are  in  terror;**  17 

The  billows  of  the  sea  **  retreat.  ^^ 

Sword  does  not  avail  against  him, 


^  As  in  the  description  of  the  horse  above  39,  20. 

**  So  by  a  slight  change  in  the  text  instead  of  "rushes," 
which  gives  no  sense. 

*^  Likewise  an  independent  composition,  41,  14-26  (or  41, 
22-34)  and  duplicating  in  part  the  two  other  poems. 

*®  The  second  half  of  this  verse  is  hopelessly  corrupt.  The 
ordinary  translation 

"dismay  (or  'terror')  dances  before  him" 

is  devoid  of  meaning  and  forms  no  parallelism. 

*^  A  repetition,  therefore,  of  verses  7-9  in  the  second  poem 
The  line  is  omitted  in  the  original  Greek  version.  Verse  16  rep- 
resents a  double  comment  (a)  '  His  heart,  {i.e.,  here  *his  body'), 
is  firm  as  a  stone. "    (b)  "  firm  as  the  nether  millstone. " 

^  So  Ehrlich's  reading  and  interpretation. 

*®  So  by  an  emendation  of  the  word  translated  "terror" 
or  "despair."     The  phrase  occurs  in  Psalm  93,  4. 

^^  So  by  a  change  in  one  letter  of  the  word. 

359 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

And  the  spear  ^^ 

Iron  he  esteems  as  straw; 

Copper  as  rotten  wood, 
ao         The  arrow  pierces  him  not;^^ 

The  stones  of  the  sHng  become  stubble.  ^^ 

A  club  is  counted  as  stubble  ;^^ 

He  laughs  at  the  rattling  of  javelin. 

His  underparts  are  sharp  potsherds, 

Tracing  a  threshing  sledge^^  upon  the  mire. 

He  makes  the  deep  boil  as  a  pot; 

He  stirs  up  the  sea  like  a  salve  pot.^^ 

Behind  him  a  shining  path, 

Making  the  deep  appear  hoary. 
2$         Upon  earth  there  is  not  his  like; 

A  creature  made  without  fear. 

Powerful,  whatever  is  mighty  fears  him;^^ 

The  king  over  all  the  proud  beasts. 

^^  The  balance  of  this  second  part  of  the  verse — omitted  in 
the  original  Greek  version — is  unintelligible,  because  of  the  hope- 
lessly corrupt  text. 

"The  same  verb  in  the  same  sense  as  20,  24. 

^The  line  is  omitted  in  the  original  Greek  version. 

^  The  line  is  missing  in  the  original  Greek  version. 

^^  The  threshing  sledges  in  the  Orient  are  still  made,  as  in 
antiquity,  of  wood  smooth  on  one  side,  but  provided  with  sharp- 
pointed  nails  on  the  other,  that  leave  their  deep  traces  in  the 
ground.  To  these  ruts,  the  poet  compares  the  impress  of  the 
stiff  prickly  hide  of  the  crocodile  as  it  lies  in  the  mire. 

^^  i.e.,  the  medicine  pestle  in  which  steaming  mixtures  are 
prepared.  Cf.  41,  12. 

^^  So  by  slight  changes  in  the  text. 


VIII 
THE  FOUR  EPILOGUES  TOTHE  BOOKOF  JOB^^ 

A 

An  Epilogue  Added  to  the  First  Speech  of  Yahweh 

(40,  1-5) 
[Then  Yahweh  answered  Job  as  follows  :]^^  40,  i 

Is  the  contest  with  Shaddai  to  continue  ?®° 
Then  let  the  accuser  ^^  of  God  give  answer. 
And  Job  in  answer  to  Yahweh  said : 
"  I  am  entirely  unworthy  to  answer  Thee;^^ 


^  The  first  two  epilogues  in  poetic  form  (a)  40,  1-5  and  (b) 
40,  6-14  with  42,  1-6,  emanate  from  orthodox  circles  that  found 
it  necessary  to  represent  Job  as  repenting  of  his  audacity.  They 
are  in  direct  contradiction  to  the  original  close  of  the  Symposium 
(42,  7*^-9)  which  represents  even  God  as  approving  of  Job. 
See  further  above,  p.  61. 

^*  Again  an  editorial  link  in  conventional  form;  and  entirely 
meaningless  here,  since  Job  has  not  been  speaking.  It  is  quite 
certain  that  verses  1-2  were  not  in  the  original  Greek  version. 
See  Beer,  Text  des  Buches  Hiob,  p.  246. 

^°The  verb  in  the  text  is  entirely  unintelligible.  What 
possible  meaning  can  there  be  in  the  customary  translation  of 
this  line: 

"Shall  he  that  reproveth  contend  with  the  Almighty?" 

Some  such  verb  as  is  suggested  in  my  tentative  translation  is 
demanded  by  the  context.  The  two  lines  (of  which  the  first  is 
lacking  in  the  later  Greek  versions)  probably  represent  an 
editorial  addition  to  lead  up  to  Job's  confession  of  his  inability 
to  reply  to  God — all  in  the  interest  of  the  conventional  orthodoxy. 

^^  Literally,  "the  one  who  argues"  in  the  legal  sense  of 
presenting  the  charge. 

^^The  Greek  version  varies  considerably. 

361 


8 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

My  hand  I  lay  upon  my  mouth. 

Once  I  have  spoken,  but  never  again ;®^ 

Twice,  but  now  no  more."^* 

B 

An  Epilogue  Added  to  the  SBf:oND  Speech  of  Yahweh 
(40,6-14  wiTHi.42,  1-6.)^^ 

^*  ^         [Then  Yahweh  answered  Job :]  ^^ 

Wilt  thou  disavow  my  decision  ?^^ 

*^  So  read  instead  of  "I  will  not  answer,"  which  is  clearly 
an  error,  and  not  in  the  Greek  version. 

^  One  is  reminded  of  Hamlet's  last  words;  "The  rest 
is  silence." 

^^  The  second  epilogue — likewise  in  poetic  form — was  origi- 
nally attached  to  the  poems  on  the  hippopotamus  and  the  croco- 
dile. Its  proper  place  is,  therefore,  at  the  beginning  of  chapter  42 
but  it  has  been  combined  with  a  part  of  the  original  introduc- 
tion to  the  four  poems,  namely  40, 6-7.  These  two  verses  must 
be  taken  in  connection  with  42,  3  *  and  4.  This  reconstructed 
introduction,  clearly  based  on  38,  1-3,  therefore,  reads  as  follows: 
Then  Yahweh  answered  Job: 

Gird  up  thy  loins  like  a  warrior, 
That  I  may  ask  thee  to  tell  me. 
Who  is  this  that  darkens  counsel, 
[By  words]  without  knowledge? 
[Hear  now  and  I  will  speak; 
I  will  ask  thee  to  tell  me.] 

To  remove  the  confusion  we  must,  therefore,  detach  from  the 
epilogue  40,  G-y. 

In  the  epilogue  proper  (40,  8-14)  verses  9-10  appear  to  be  due 
to  later  expansion,  and  verse  1 2  is  a  paraphrase  of  verse  1 3 .  Verse 
14  impresses  one  as  a  later  addition,  so  that  the  epilogue  in  an 
earlier  form  consisted  of  three  verses  only,  8,  11,  13  in  which 
God  calls  upon  Job  to  humble  himself.  These  four  verses  would 
then  correspond  to  40,  2  of  the  first  epilogue. 

*^  Copied  from  38,  I,  including  the  words  "out  of  the 
storm,"  though  these  are  omitted  in  at  least  some  Hebrew 
manuscripts.  See  note  42  above,  p  343.  The  editorial  link  is 
entirely  omitted  in  the  Sinaitic  codex  of  the  Greek  version. 

"  Literally:    "judgment"  in  the  sense  of  judicial  decision. 
362 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

Condemn  me  so  as  to  justify  thyself? 

[Hast  thou  an  arm  Hke  God  ? 

Canst  thunder  with  a  voice  Hke  Him  ? 

Deck  thyself  with  majesty  and  excellency?  lo 

Clothe  thyself  with  ^lory  and  beauty?]^ 

Repress  the  fury  of  thy  wrath;  n 

And  lower  every  kind  of  haughtiness/^ 

Hide  them  ^°  in  the  dust  together;  13 

Bind  their  faces  in  a  hidden  spot. 

[Then,  indeed,  I  will  praise  thee,^^ 

For  thy  right  hand  will  bring  thy  salvation.] 

Then  Job  answered  Yahweh  'J^  42,1 

I  know  ^'  that  Thou  canst  do  everything;  2 

And  nothing  ^*  is  too  difficult  for  Thee.  ^** 


^®  To  be  taken  as  a  continuation  of  the  query. 
^  Verse  12  (briefer  in  the  Greek  text)  is  a  paraphrase  of 
the  preceding  verse  by  a  commentator  who,  however,  takes 
"haughty  "  for  the  "wicked,"  whereas  Job's  haughtiness  is  meant: 
"And  humble  every  haughty  one; 
And  tread  down  the  wicked  in  their  place." 

i.e.,  crush  the  wicked  completely. 

The  first  of  these  two  lines  is  lacking  in  the  Syriac  version. 

'°  Thy  wrath  and  thy  haughtiness. 

"  So  to  be  rendered,  "not  confess  unto  thee."  This  verse 
of  the  epilogue  is  under  suspicion  of  being  a  later  addition. 

^2  One  important  Greek  codex  omits  the  line.  See  Beer, 
Text  des  Buches  Hiob,  p.  255.  Job's  confession  clearly  forms 
part  of  the  second  epilogue,  to  correspond  to  the  confession 
(40,  3-5),  in  the  first  epilogue.  Verses  42,  i,  2,  3",  5-6,  consti- 
tuting this  confession,  therefore,  belong  immediately  after  40,  14. 

"There  appears  to  have  been  a  variant  reading  "Thou 
knowest" — meaning  God — but  the  versions  favor  "I  know." 

^*  So  the  Greek  text. 

'^  The  first  part  of  verse  3 . 

"Who  is  this  that  darkens  counsel  without  knowledge" 
(not  found  in  the  Codex  Sinaiticus  of  the  Greek  version)  is  taken 

363 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

What  I  did  not  understand,  I  uttered; 
Things  far  beyond  me  of  which  I  had  no  knowl- 
edge.^* 
From  hearsay  I  had  heard  of  Thee; 
But  now  my  eye  has  seen  Thee. 
Therefore,  I  recall  and  repent, 
[In  utter  worthlessness.]^^ 


The  Prose  Epilogue  to  the  Symposium^* 
'  (42,7^-9) 

42,7b         And  Yahweh  said  unto  Eliphaz  the  Temanite: 
"My  wrath  is  kindled  against  thee,^^  and  against  thy 


over  from  38,  2  except  that  "by  words"  has  been  omitted, 
though  probably  by  accident.  It  is  clearly  out  of  place  .and 
belongs,  as  indicated,  to  the  introduction  which  in  the  editing 
process  was  combined  with  the  epilogue.  See  above,  note  65. 
^^  Verse  4, 

"Hear  now  and  I  will  speak, 
I  will  ask  thee  to  tell  me," 

is  similarly  a  variant  to  38, 3  and  40,  'f  and  taken  over  from  there. 
The  verse  is  entirely  out  of  place  and  meaningless  where  it 
stands.  It  belongs  like  42,  3"  to  the  introduction  to  the  four 
poems  on  the  huge  beasts.  That  verses  3'  and  4  should  thus 
have  been  actually  Inserted  into  the  text  and  made  part  of  a 
speech  of  Job  shows  the  lack  of  any  critical  spirit  on  the  part  of 
those  to  whom  we  owe  the  present  text  of  Job.  And  yet  until 
modern  criticism  set  in,  such  insertions  were  accepted  as  part 
of  a  sacred  book,  which  by  such  editorial  methods  becomes  a 
hopelessly  confused  one. 

"Literally:  "in  dust  and  ashes,"  but  which  as  Ehrlich 
has  shown  is  an  idiomatic  expression  for  "utter  worthlessness. " 
The  same  phrase  occurs  30,  19  and  since  the  line  is  too  short  as  It 
stands,  it  may  be  that  the  phrase  represents  an  addition  taken 
over  from  30,  19.     See  above  p.  291. 

364 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

two  friends;  for  you  have  not  spoken  what  is  proper  ^° 
as  my  servant  Job  has.  Therefore,  take  now  seven 
bullocks  and  seven  rams,  and  go  ^^  and  offer  them  up 
as  a  burnt  offering  ^^  on  your  behalf;  and  my  servant 
Job  shall  intercede  for  you  ^^  that  I  do  not  do  some- 
thing abominable  ^^  to  you .  And  Eliphaz  the  Temanite 
and  Bildad  the  Shuhite  and  Zophar  the  Naamathite 
went  and  did  as  Yahweh  had  spoken  to  them.  And 
Yahweh  accepted  Job. 

^^  In  prose  like  the  prologue  (chapters  1-2).  For  the  original 
place  of  this  epilogue  see  above,  p.  60  seq.  The  additional  words 
"And  it  was  after  Yahweh  had  spoken  these  words  unto  Job" 

represent  the  editorial  link  to  connect  the  original  close 
of  the  book  with  the  two  "orthodox"  epilogues.  But  these 
two  epilogues  form  such  a  contrast  to  the  original  close,  that  even 
the  editorial  link  cannot  bring  about  a  smooth  transition.  For 
surely,  God  cannot  approve  of  Job  and  be  angry  at  his  friends, 
after  Job  has  confessed  his  guilt,  and  which  confession  obviously 
acquits  his  friends. 

^*  An  imitation  of  32,  3-4. 

80 Qj.  "right."  The  word  in  the  text  points  to  a  complete 
approval  of  what  Job  said.  Only  one  who  had  the  boldness  of  the 
writer  of  the  original  Book  of  Job,  ending  with  Job's  complete 
vindication,  could  venture  to  go  so  far  as  to  suggest  that  God 
himself  recognized  the  justice  of  Job's  reproaches  against  the 
cruelty  and  injustice  of  Divine  government.  The  unorthodox 
writer  could,  of  course — if  he  were  so  inclined — take  refuge  behind 
the  plea  that  the  misfortunes  of  Job  were  merely  a  test,  though 
he  would  involve  himself  in  the  contradiction  that  according  to 
the  philosophical  poem  Job  did  not  endure  the  test  since  he  de- 
fied God.  Such  logical  subtleties,  however,  would  not  disturb  an 
ancient   writer. 

^^  An  unnecessary  comment  adds,  "to  my  servant  Job." 

^*  According  to  the  Priestly  Code  (Lev.  4,  28),  it  would  have 
been  a  she-goat  as  a  "  sin  offering. " 

^Text  adds  (taken  over  from  v.  9)  "for  him  I  accept" — 
literally,  "lift  up  his  countenance,"  i.e.,  in  the  sense  of  favoring 

365 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

D 

The  Original  Close  of  the  Folktale^ 

^\^k\CA\e^  )  (42,  10-17) 

42, 10 And  Yahweh  turned  the  fortune  of  Job,^^  [and  Yah- 

weh  restored  everything  to  Job  in  double  amount.]^ ^ 

And  all  his  relations  ^^  and  his  former  acquaintances 

[heard  all  the  things  that  befell  him,  and]^^  came  to 

one  or  acting  out  of  regard  for  one,  and  which  is  clearly  added  so 
as  to  connect  the  original  close  of  the  folktale  with  the  epilogue 
to  the  Symposium. 

^  The  word  used  comes  close  to  the  term  in  the  Priestly 
Code  to  describe  an  "  abomination, "  like  a  carcass  that  must  not 
be  eaten.  It  is  here  used  in  a  more  general  sense  to  denote  an 
awful  punishment.  "Unseemly"  as  found  in  the  translation  of 
the  American  Jewish  Publication  Society  is  too  mild,  though  an 
improvement  on  "folly"  as  the  AV  renders.  The  text  again 
adds  tautologically: 

"For  you  have  not  spoken  what  is  right  to  me  (or  "of  me")  as  my 
servant  Job  has  " — repeated  from  v.  7. 

*^  42,  10-17  (i^  prose)  now  attached  to  the  special  epilogue 
to  the  Symposium.  The  abrupt  beginning  points  to  an  omission 
of  some  details  that  either  were  not  in  keeping  with  the  epilogue 
attached  to  the  Symposium  or  that  were  regarded  as  superfluous. 
The  folktale  must  have  had  further  links  connecting  chapters  i 
and  2,  with  the  happy  ending,  as  a  reward  for  Job's  piety  and 
silent  endurance.    See  above,  p.  61  seq. 

^^  Literally:  "restored  the  captivity  (like  Ps.  14,  7)  in  the 
sense  of  removing  one's  distress  and  trouble.  A  glossator  adds, 
**  because  of  his  interceding  for  his  friend  " — which  is  as  common- 
place as  it  is  unnecessary.  The  Hebrew  text  has  "  his  friend  "  in 
accord  with  v.  7  in  which  Eliphaz  alone  is  addressed.  The  ver- 
sions, however,  have  the  plural,  which  is  accepted  in  our  English 
translations,  though  without  any  mention  of  the  original  reading. 

^^  Probably  a  later  amplifying  addition  in  view  of  the  state- 
ment in  V.  12. 

^Literally,  "All  his  brothers  and  all  his  sisters" — an  ex- 
pression to  indicate  all  his  relations. 

^  So  the  Greek  version. 

366 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

feast  with  him  in  his  house,  [to  sympathize  with  him; 
and  to  comfort  him  for  all  the  evil  which  Yahweh  had 
brought  upon  him.]^°  And  each  one  gave  him  a  kesita 
and  each  a  golden  ring.^^ 

And  Yahweh  blessed  the  latter  end  of  Job  more 
than  his  beginning;  and  he  had  fourteen  thousand 
sheep  and  six  thousand  camels  and  a  thousand  yoke 
of  cattle  and  a  thousand  she-asses.    And  he  had  double  13 
the  number  of  seven  sons  ^^  and  three  daughters. ^^ 

^°  Added  by  the  one  who  attached  the  epilogue  to  the  Sym- 
posium and  who  aimed  to  weld  the  two  epilogues  into  a  consistent 
whole.  An  orthodox  writer  would  not  have  used  phrases 
which  might  reveal  the  original  character  of  the  book  as 
justifying  Job. 

^^  This  is  a  genuine  folktale  touch.  The  kesita  is  a  coin 
(Gen.  33,  19,  Jos,  24,  32)  and  it, as  well  as  the  golden  ring, prob- 
ably represents  a  congratulatory  gift  that  It  was  customary 
to  bestow  on  some  one  who  had  recovered  from  an  Illness  or 
who  had  escaped  some  danger.  The  word  for  ring  nezem  (Gen. 
24,  22)  is  a  ring  placed  by  women  on  the  nose  to  hold  up  the  veil, 
but  perhaps  It  Is  here  used  In  a  more  general  sense.  In  no  case  is 
a  ring  placed  through  the  nose  meant.  That  custom  is  not 
found  among  the  Semites.  The  Greek  version  renders  kesita 
which  it  no  longer  understood  as  "lamb."  These  gifts  have,  of 
course,  no  significance  in  the  form  of  the  story  adapted  to 
the  Symposium. 

®^  A  strange  form  to  express  "double  seven"  is  used  and  as 
Ehrlich  points  out  with  Intent  to  avoid  a  confusion  with  the  ex- 
pression "sevenfold. "  The  Targum  confirms  the  interpretation 
by  using  the  common  term  fourteen.  It  will  be  observed  that 
only  the  number  of  the  sons  are  doubled,  but  not  that  of  the 
daughters.  Sons  from  the  Oriental  point  of  view  are  an  asset; 
daughters   a   liability. 

^^  As  an  amplification  of  the  folktale  of  Job,  the  names  of 
the  three  daughters  of  Job  are  added  (v.  14): 

"And  the  name  of  the  one  was  Jemima  and  the  name  of  the  second 
Kezia  and  the  name  of  the  third  Keren-happuch.'* 

The  names  appear  to  be  plant  names  and  of  foreign  origin, 
367 


THE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

IS  And  there  were  no  women  in  all  the  land  so  fair 
as  the  daughters  of  Job.  And  their  father  gave  them 
an  inheritance  with  their  brothers.^'*  And  Job  lived 
after  this  a  hundred  and  forty  years  ^^  [and  saw  his 
children  and  his  grandchildren, — four  generations. 
And  Job  died,  old  and  full  of  days.]^^ 


perhaps  transliterations  from  the  Arabic.  Kezia  is  the  plant 
Cassia  while  Keren-happuch,  literally  "horn  of  eye  paint,"  might 
designate  the  "Stibium  box,"  used  by  women.  In  Arabic 
Jemima  is  the  "dove,"  but  it  is  more  likely  that  it  here  desig- 
nates some  plant.  It  is  likely  that  in  some  version  of  the  folk- 
tale the  names  of  the  sons  were  also  mentioned,  as  well  as  the 
name  of  Job's  wife. 

**  Again  a  bit  of  folk-lore,  that  is,  however,  devoid  of  sig- 
nificance in  the  present  form  of  the  story.  The  post-exilic  Priest- 
ly Code  (Num.  27,  i-ii)  permits  such  an  inheritance  only  in 
case  there  are  no  sons. 

^^The  Greek  version  has  170. 

®^  Verse  16^  and  the  whole  of  verse  17  are  omitted  in  the 
original  Greek  version.  They  are  clearly  later  additions — sug- 
gested by  Gen.  35,  29 — ^just  as  the  names  of  the  three  daughters 
are  fanciful  amplifications  of  the  folktale.  Such  additions  are 
common  at  the  end  of  ancient  books.  The  Greek  version  of 
Theodotion  has  four  additional  notes  or  statements  pointing 
to  the  continued  expansion  of  the  folktale,  in  the  style  of  the 
Jewish  "  Midrash. "    They  are : 

(a)  "It  is  written  that  Job  will  again  arise  with  those  whom  the  Lord 
will  resurrect." 

(b)  "According  to  the  'Syriac'  book  {i.e.y  probably  an  Aramaic  version) 
he  {i.e..  Job)  dwelt  in  the  land  of  Uz  on  the  borders  of  Idumaea  and  Arabia 
and  his  name  was  formerly  Jobab  (cf.  Gen.  36,  33).  He  took  to  wife  an  Arabic 
woman  and  had  a  son  whose  name  was  Ennon.  He  himself  was  the  son  of  Zare 
{i.e.,  Zerah,  Gen.  36,  33),  one  of  the  sons  of  Esau  and  Bozrah  (a  misreading 
of  Gen.  36,  33,  which  says  'from  Bozrah'  in  connection  with  Zerah),  so  that 
he  was  the  fifth  from  Abram." 

(c)  A  third  addition,  giving  the  list  of  the  Edomite  kings  on  the  basis 
of  Gen.  36,  3 1  -39,  though  only  four  are  mentioned  here,  as  against  eight  in  Genesis : 

"And  these  are  the  kings  who  ruled  in  Edom,  over  which  he  himself 
ruled; 

368 


rHE  BOOK  OF  JOB 

First,  Bela  the  son  of  Beor,  whose  city  was  Dinhabah  (cf.  Gen.  36,  32). 

After  Bela,  Jobab,  who  was  called  Job  (cf.  Gen.  36,  33), 

After  this  one,  Husham  of  the  land  of  the  Temanites  (Gen..  36,  34). 

After  this  one,  Hadad,  son  of  Barad  (Bedad,  Gen.  36,  35),  who  slew 
Midian  in  the  field  of  Moab  and  the  name  of  his  city  was  Gethaim"  (  =  Awith  or 
Gawith,  cf.  Gen.  36,  35). 

(d)  "The  friends  who  came  to  him  were: 

Eliphaz  of  the  sons  of  Esau  (cf.  Gen.  36,  10),  king  of  the  Temanites, 

Bildad  the  tyrant  of  the  Shuhites, 

Zophar,  the  king  of  the  Mineans." 

The  "Syriac  book"  mentioned  as  the  source  of  the  second 
statement  appears  to  have  been  an  Aramaic  version  with  Mid- 
rashic  additions.  The  same  statement  is  found  in  the  work  of  a 
certain  Aristeas  on  "The  Jews,"  which  shows  us  that  the  source 
in  question  must  have  been  in  existence  in  the  second  century  a. 
D.  during  which  Aristeas  lived.  We  cannot  be  sure  that  the 
additions  in  the  Greek  version  are  earlier  than  the  translation 
made  by  Theodotion,  whose  date  is  somewhere  toward  the  end 
of  the  second  century  a.  d.  Both  Aristeas  and  Theodotion 
may,  therefore,  have  used  the  same  source,  or  Theodotion  may  be 
dependent  upon  Aristeas.  At  all  events  since  the  source  is  dis- 
tinctively Jewish,  we  have  in  these  additions  to  the  Greek  ver- 
sion the  proof  that  the  story  of  Job,  as  well  as  the  book,  was  sub- 
ject to  constant  elaboration  for  at  least  two  centuries  after  the 
completion  of  the  original  Book  of  Job.  See  further  on  the  addi- 
tions to  the  Greek  version  Dillman,  Hiob,  (4th  edition)  pp.  360- 
361,  and  Cheyne,  Job  and  Solomon^  p.  96  note  i,  and  for  a  dif- 
ferent view,  the  article  on  "Aristeas  "  in  the  Jewish  Encyclopaedia. 


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